Digimon 03: Digital Legacy
by Zero Unit RGB
Summary: Koushiro knew something was wrong when he got a message from Gennai in the middle of the night. Now he's on the run from a new enemy leg by Dagomon, leader of the Dark Ocean and the Chaos Army. It's up to him to find a new team of DigiDestined that will work together to save the multi-verse and all of his teammates before it is too late. For the Novel With Prompts Challenge. R&R
1. Prologue: The D-Max

**Okay, so I decided to give another go for this Novel With Prompts challenge by using the canon universe. So I hope you guys enjoy this prologue, be sure to tell me what you think, and the prompt I used was 'breathe'.**

-X-

**May 9: Odaiba Neighborhood – 2:48 AM**

"_Koushiro? Are you okay? Where are you right now?_"

Koushiro's labored breathing was clearly worrying his mother who was near hysterics on the other line. He tried his best to reassure her that he was okay. "Everything's fine, but I think I should stay away from home for a little while."

"_Koushiro… I need you to be completely honest with me. Are you in any kind of danger right now?_"

He swallowed and he realized just how dry his throat was. He desperately wanted a drink but at the moment, he had to keep running. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tentomon turning the corner as quickly as possible.

"Yes…," Koushiro finally answered.

He clutched the strap of his bag so tightly that his knuckles were white. Inside it were a couple of changes of clothes, his laptop, and any other necessities.

"_...What about school?_"

"I'll still be going," he answered honestly just as Tentomon began to tap on the pay phone's glass door frantically. "I'll call you every day so you know that I'm okay. I promise I won't be away for long. This is all to keep you and dad safe. I'll see you later."

"_Koushi-!_"

The Chosen Child hung up and left the booth, pointing his digivice at his partner. The night blanketed street was illuminated instantly by the bright light of digivolution and from the street; a large insect flew out of it. Anyway who was still awake at that hour would just need to look outside their window to see the monster for their own eyes.

Koushiro looked behind him and saw the shadow run between the buildings.

"I won't be able to lose him!" Kabuterimon informed his partner.

Koushiro took his laptop out of his bag and turned it on. He saw the last message he had received which was from Gennai, telling him to run away from home. He questioned it but when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up because of some cold presence from outside, he immediately packed up, and shimmied out the window. Now he felt like a criminal on the run. So much for being one of the heroes of two worlds.

The teenager snapped out of it and looked back at the screen. There were some more instructions from Gennai. "Okay, Kabuterimon!" Koushiro shouted over the buzz of the bug's wings. "Here's what I need you to do!"

**May 9: Kawada Residence – 3:17 AM**

Noriko Kawada heard a beep coming from her bedside and for a second, she thought that it was from her alarm clock. She peeked through one of her eyes and noticed how dark it was, the only light coming from the streetlights filtering into her window.

"Noriko-sama?" her partner chirped groggily from beside her.

The young girl rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she looked to her nightstand and noticed that she had gotten a message on her D-Terminal. She only ever used it to chat with Sora and more recently, Hikari, about random stuff. But why would either of them try to reach her in the middle of the night?

She took a look at the communications device and noticed that it was actually Koushiro who had contacted her. Her eyes widened when she read the message. "Chicchimon, something bad is going on," Noriko told her sleepy partner.

The small ball-like creature was suddenly wide awake. He may have been round but it was still evident that he was a bird Digimon with long strands of hair sticking out from the top of his head in a single ponytail. "What's going on?"

Noriko didn't answer; instead she got out of bed and quickly changed into clothes that were more suitable for going out in public even if no one was going to see her. She grabbed her D-3 and her partner, raced down the stairs and flung open the door. Just in time to see Koushiro running towards her from down the street with Kabuterimon flying close behind him.

At first, she tried to figure out why the boy wasn't riding his partner but then she realized that Kabuterimon was keeping someone distracted even further in the back. A loud roar that could only be described as monstrous reached her ears and the neighborhood awoke with lights and confused conversation.

"Run!" Koushiro shouted as he sprinted past the younger child.

Noriko followed him and glanced backwards to see Devidramon in hot pursuit of the insect Digimon.

**Digital Analyzer: **Devidramon are known to be the messengers of evil. They're a demon beast species feared by many for his elongated and highly-developed arms that can be used to rip foes to shreds. Their sharp tails are also capable of turning into a claw which is just as strong as their arms in terms of destruction. The most significant detail about these creatures is that they are embodiments of wickedness so they are unmoved by the spirit of compassion.

"Didn't you fight a Devidramon before?" Noriko asked Koushiro.

The redhead nodded. "But he's really strong and I only defeated him when I evolved Kabuterimon into MegaKabuterimon which, as you know, isn't possible for me anymore." She noticed that he was going to collapse from exhaustion if they didn't stop soon. He didn't strike her as the athletic type.

Noriko grabbed the older boy's wrist and yanked him into an alleyway so that he could catch his breath. They watched as Kabuterimon stopped and rocketed upwards to keep Devidramon distracted from the two humans below them.

Chicchimon began flapping his tiny wings rapidly as he looked to Koushiro. "Koushiro-dono, what is going on?"

Koushiro shook his head. In all honesty, he wasn't completely sure either but he knew that they needed to defeat Devidramon soon if they didn't want any damage to be done to the neighborhood. He was still breathing heavily but he didn't bother resting as he swung his backpack into his lap. He pulled out his laptop, turned it back on, and quickly started trying to contact Gennai for some clarification on the current situation.

"I'm about to find out," Koushiro muttered.

Noriko peeked out from the alleyway to get a better view of the battle above them.

"Crimson Claw!"

Devidramon began swinging his claws around wildly but despite looking random, they had one target, Kabuterimon. The partnered Digimon took advantage of his hard head and used it to block the claws though to say that it didn't hurt would've been a lie.

"Electro Shocker!"

Devidramon used his strong wings to avoid the attack and charged forward again, getting into a wrestling match with his opponent in midair.

"Things aren't looking too good up there…," Noriko murmured.

Koushiro's eyes widened when he received a message from Gennai. He quickly started pulling some cables out of his bag before turning over to Noriko. "I need to borrow your D-3 for a moment! I need to give it an upgrade."

"What?" Noriko blinked. She felt her heart jump into her throat. "But Chicchimon and I have never been in a fight before. He can't even evolve further than the Child level. Why can't you give your own digivice the upgrade?"

Koushiro gave Noriko a hard look into her eyes. "Listen to me. You are a Chosen Child and you're capable of doing great things. If I could give myself the upgrade, I would. But I'm asking for yours."

Noriko felt her pulse quickening as she thought about her own partner getting into a dangerous fight but she knew that if she didn't do anything, then Tentomon could be destroyed. She nodded and placed her D-3 into Koushiro's palm who automatically attached the cable to it and his laptop.

"How long is it going to take?" Noriko asked.

For a moment, Noriko flashbacked to the times before all of this happened, over three years ago on that Christmas day. She had willingly followed a strange lady into a dark alley which, in hindsight, was an awful idea. She was told that she could be liked the child prodigy, Ken Ichijouji, and stupidly enough, Noriko decided to take that chance.

Before that day, Noriko used to get sick all the time. She would have trouble breathing like she was having an asthma attack and she sometimes went into a relapse whenever she started panicking. It was like a severe condition so she always carried an inhaler with her but not tonight. And it felt like she was entering a relapse.

"Noriko-sama?" Chicchimon inquired when he saw her partner fall to concrete floor and buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders were heaving up and down like she was crying but she certainly didn't sound like she was. "You're hyperventilating… Do you have your inhaler?"

Noriko shook her head in distress. "I was in a rush…"

Chicchimon fluttered to her partner's and gave her a small, feathery hug. "Don't worry, just calm down. I'm here to protect you…"

"But I'm afraid that something might happen to you if you fight," Noriko breathed. "I'm not experienced enough."

"I know you're not very confident, but as long as you are here, nothing bad will happen to me," Chicchimon promised.

Noriko nodded shakily before glancing over to the other human who was still working frantically. Her D-3 was still plugged in but it was shrouded in a soft yellow glow. "What about the others? Can't you call one of them?"

"That Devidramon took them all somewhere," Koushiro answered without looking up. But his typing became slower. "I don't know where any of them are. I tried to contact them but it's like they all dropped off the face of the Earth. My theory is that they ended up in the Digital World but they know how to get back. So… I have a feeling that something really bad is going on. And if Gennai hadn't told me to get out of my house, I would've been a victim too."

"They're… gone?"

Koushiro nodded before his head snapped upwards, hearing his partner shout in pain.

"Red Eyes!"

The two humans and Chicchimon turned back to the fight in time to see that Devidramon had used his attack to paralyze Kabuterimon. The insect was stunned which gave Devidramon the chance to grab him by the horn and fly straight downwards before throwing the other Adult Digimon into the asphalt. From the debris, Tentomon rolled out and stumbled into the alley where Koushiro snatched him up into his arms.

Devidramon landed in front of the narrow passage since he was too big to actually fit inside. He stuck an arm inside in an attempt to nab the one he was after but they quickly moved deeper to avoid the demon beast.

"Come on…," Koushiro willed the D-3 plugged into his laptop. "Hurry up and finish downloading already!"

Tentomon weakly tried to shoot an electric bolt at the black claw but it did nothing more than tickle Devidramon. Chicchimon even evolved into Hyokomon and attempted to make cuts using his sword but it was like poking a cinder block with a toothpick.

As if on cue, the D-3 suddenly stopped glowing and beeped multiple times before changing shape. It took on a brand new physical form of a brace with a keypad of the numbers 0-9 and a small, square screen. On one end of the device, there was a small orb that kind of looked like the spot where you'd shoot a laser out of. And the color, the main color was black but it was lined with saffron. To the right of the 0 button was a white button and to the left, a black one.

"What is it?" Noriko blinked as she slowly picked it up. It looked rather heavy but as it turned out, it felt like she was holding a piece of pumice.

"That is the D-Max, short for the Digivice Maximum," Koushiro answered. "It's more powerful than the D-3 and has a multitude of functions. Point the saffron orb at your partner to get him to evolve to the Adult level."

"Evolve?" Noriko repeated nervously.

Hyokomon landed next to his partner. "I can do it, Noriko-sama! Then I'll be able to protect you and Koushiro-dono!"

"But if Kabuterimon couldn't defeat Devidramon then…"

Noriko couldn't even finish her sentence when her human companion yell out suddenly. She looked back up and saw that Devidramon had grabbed the redhead by using his tail-claw rather than his regular claws. Tentomon tried to save Koushiro but he was swatted away, hit a brick building, and was unable to get back up.

"Noriko! Press the numbers 1, 4, and 7 in that order and then press the white button in order to activate digivolution!" Koushiro shouted. "Hurry!"

Noriko felt her breathing getting shallower and even her vision was getting blurry as she tried to balance herself. She saw Devidramon swipe his claw and ripples were sent through the air, making a portal appear in the middle of the street.

Noriko shook her head frantically. "I-I can't!"

"You have too!" Koushiro snapped. "If I'm taken then…"

Hyokomon looked between his partner and Koushiro before flying forwards and trying to get Devidramon to keep away from the portal. "You fiend! Let go of my friend or I will tear you to shreds!"

"I'd like to see you try," Devidramon growled before grabbing the bird in one of his claws.

"Hyokomon!" Noriko screamed when she saw her partner in pain.

"I'll crush you like the bug you are!"

Noriko bit her lower lip as an image of Hyokomon getting destroyed flashed through her mind. To her, if a Digimon as experienced at fighting as Kabuterimon lost in a battle, then she wouldn't stand a chance. But if she didn't try then she would lose her partner anyway. What kind of DigiDestined was she?

Noriko's vision was back to normal and she stopped hyperventilating. She strapped on the D-Max to her left wrist and pressed the 0 button. "D-Max Online!" The teenager then proceeded to press the sequence of numbers Koushiro told her to. "Charged Up Digivolution!" Noriko pointed the saffron orb at Hyokomon and a beam of light shot out to the bird, enveloping him in a blinding glow, causing Devidramon to let go.

"Hyokomon Digivolve to…," Hyokomon's form became a little more human-like but his appearance was still very much that of a bird. He wore a blazing red garb along with a bamboo hat. His magnificent wings looked strong enough to produce whirlwinds with a single flap and his weapons of choice seemed to be a katana attached to each hip. "Buraimon!"

**Digital Analyzer: **Buraimon are noble bird warriors, continuing on the oath as a righteous samurai. However, due to how he had been influenced by the great phoenix warriors Garudamon, their Adult form has been altered to match their appearance slightly.

Buraimon moved much faster than Devidramon could anticipate and unsheathing both of his katana, he sliced off Devidramon's tail which meant Koushiro dropped from the demon's grasp. Devidramon roared in pain and tried to swipe at the bird-man but only touched air as Buraimon was quick enough to evade the attack. The redhead quickly stood back up and joined Noriko on the sidelines who was watching her newly evolved partner in awe.

"Buraimon… Incredible!" Noriko gasped excitedly.

Devidramon continued trying to claw at the samurai but he couldn't hit him and it was frustrating the beast to no end.

Tentomon slowly got back up. "Do you think Buraimon will be able to win this fight?"

Koushiro nodded. "I believe in him and besides, what do you think the other buttons on the D-Max are for?" He grabbed his laptop and scanned the words on the page before turning to Noriko. "As I mentioned, there are more functions on this digivice than any other, including ways to boost your partner in battle. Do you see a glowing cable that connects from your D-Max to Buraimon's heart?"

Noriko glanced down at the device attached to her wrist and gasped when she saw the link. "Yeah! But why can't you?"

"It's a physical manifestation of your bond with your partner that only you and Buraimon can see," Koushiro explained. "But it's only there when your partner is at the Adult level or higher. Furthermore, this cable is used for you to send power boosts to your partner. For example, if Devidramon tries to use Crimson Claw, press 1, 0, 3, and then press the white button to give your partner some extra speed."

Devidramon reacted as if they entered a tutorial. "Crimson Claw!"

Noriko inputted the sequence lightning quick and she felt energy pulse from the D-Max, go through the link, and into Buraimon. The avian Digimon gained the speed boost like Koushiro said and using this newfound speed, he was able to avoid every quick slash from Devidramon's claws.

"Stay still, you feathered rat!" Devidramon snarled.

Buraimon even used his dual blades to grab one of Devidramon claws and with all his strength, he flung the demon beast into the pavement. The dark Digimon got back up quickly and reached forward, but Buraimon just dodged the attack again, Noriko did notice that her partner was back to her original agility.

"Do you think I could give Buraimon another speed boost?" inquired Noriko.

Koushiro shook his head as he stopped her from pressing the same buttons as she did before. "Everything has its own repercussions, nothing is perfect," he warned. "The boost will only last for about ten seconds at a time and it will need to recharge before you can use the same boost. It should take about five minutes before you'll be able to use the speed boost again but until then, you should be able to use other power-ups."

Noriko paid close attention to her partner's opponent to figure out his next move so that she would know exactly what to do next. When she saw Devidramon's eyes glowed red, she was able to figure out that he was about use his Red Eyes attack and at point blank so if the attack successfully connected, Buraimon would be paralyzed and they can't make that same mistake.

She pushed in the sequence for a defense boost which was 1, 0, 2, and then white. Another glowing ball of energy pulsed through her digivice and into her partner which made a saffron force field to appear around Buraimon.

The Red Eyes attack bounced right off the force field and stunned Devidramon instead.

Koushiro's eyes widened at the opportunity. "The attack boost! We can end this battle with that!"

"Way ahead of you!" Noriko cheered. She breathed in the cool, night air, and it felt refreshing. Her sinuses had never felt this clear before as she pushed in the sequence for the attack boost which was 1, 0, 1, and the white button. "Finish this, Buraimon!"

Buraimon nodded as he unsheathed both his swords again. "Swallow Duet Reverse!" In one graceful movement, the samurai brought his blades together and slashed right through Devidramon, cutting him in half.

Noriko gasped in horror when she saw their enemy's data burst in front of their eyes. "Wait, I didn't mean to kill him!"

"Push 1, 0, then 2 and the black button, then point it to the dispersing data," Koushiro instructed the younger Chosen Child.

Noriko did as she was told and when she pointed it at the data, it gathered into an elliptical black ball. They recognized it to be a Digi-Egg which Koushiro caught in his arms.

Buraimon floated down to his human and bowed down to her apologetically. "I did not mean to destroy Devidramon, Noriko-sama. The attack boost you gave me was far more powerful than I could've imagined and I had not been aware that it would be enough for me to slice through my opponent that way I did."

Noriko shook her head. "It's okay. I'm just glad we didn't delete him permanently."

Koushiro nodded and just when she was about to shut off her D-Max, he stopped her again. "Before you press anything else, I'm going to need you to open up a digital gate because I can't do it with my outdated digivice. Just press 1, 0, 1, and then the black button."

"Right," Noriko nodded.

She pushed in the sequence and a gate opened up in front of them. Koushiro picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder with one arm and used the other to hold onto the egg. Tentomon crawled over and used his weak wings to get onto his partner's free shoulder.

"Noriko, I'll talk to you more about how the D-Max works tomorrow after school is out," Koushiro told her.

"You're going into the Digital World?" questioned Noriko.

"I'm going to be meeting Gennai and staying with him while trying to keep myself safe from whoever is after me," Koushiro explained. "While I'm there, I want you to look for any other kids who seem like they have potential to have D-Maxes as well. According to Gennai, there's a new prophecy speaking of five children who will save the multi-verse again." He sighed. "Why can't things ever stay safe for more than three years?"

Buraimon degenerated to Hyokomon and he landed on Noriko's shoulder. He glanced at the egg. "I just wonder who sent Devidramon to capture you."

"I'm hoping to find out."

The dark gate that Devidramon had opened earlier suddenly became bigger and it caught their attention. They looked up and they saw some sort of octopus creature rear his ugly head in the gate but it wasn't big enough for him to slip through. The first thought that came to the humans' minds was Cthulu as they saw him laughing at them.

"Who are you?" Noriko gaped.

"My name is Dagomon," the creature replied in a deep lull of a voice. "I am the king of the Dark Ocean."

"The Dark Ocean?" Koushiro repeated, remembering it to be the world that both Ken and Hikari had gone to.

**Digital Analyzer: **Dagomon is an evil god Digimon who takes refuge in the Dark Ocean, a chunk of the Digital World that was thought to be destroyed by the Sovereigns. It is a belief that Dagomon was born from a computer virus that would infect the computers aboard ships, throwing them off course and possibly into dangerous seas. They are bundled up in their innumerable, multiplying tentacles and takes on a humanoid appearance but its true shape is a strange evolution of a mollusk Digimon.

Tentomon was fuming and it showed in his voice. "Were you the one who kidnapped all of our friends?"

Dagomon laughed as he held up a tentacle, showing a small pink ball holding a teenage girl. She wasn't scared but she was definitely confused and frantically looking for a way to escape her prison. Koushiro and the others gasped when they realized it was Hikari.

"Does this answer your question?" Dagomon asked. "Hikari Yagami, my beautiful young queen."

"Let her go!" Koushiro shouted, surprising Noriko. She had never seen the older boy so furious before and his rage was beyond anything she had seen before. "Let them all go!"

Dagomon shook his head. "You have no idea how to make requests politely, do you?" he inquired. Every statement he made had that same dark chuckle in his eyes. He moved a little to the right so that they could see the other abducted Chosen Children in colored tubes filled with Dark Ocean seawater. They weren't drowning but it was difficult to see them. "I wish I could destroy them but they are protected thanks to you, bearer of Knowledge."

"Because of me?" Koushiro muttered.

"Yes… You see, I have no need for these other children and I intended to get rid of them since they may pose a threat to me," Dagomon told them. "However, as long as one of the heroes is still in the human or Digital World, a barrier made by the Sovereigns will keep them from being destroyed. So I must take you if I want to delete them permanently."

"So, you're protecting them by not getting captured?" Noriko reiterated. It must have something to with their bonds. She felt sure of that.

"I guess so," Koushiro murmured before readdressing Dagomon. "But why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to rule a great kingdom with my beautiful future wife," Dagomon explained. "Unfortunately, I cannot come into your world myself and capture you but I have plenty of minions who will do my bidding. That Devidramon was only one member of my Chaos Army. I will continue sending more of them until I have my tentacle on you, bearer of Knowledge."

Koushiro turned away from the digital gate and ran for the dark one when he saw that it was starting to close. Hikari had seen him while she was stuck in the orb and she started yelling something but it was like she was on mute. He couldn't hear her but he could guess what she was trying to communicate to him.

"No!" he shouted. "Don't go! Give them back!"

But it was too late, the gate was closed and all that was left was Dagomon's condescending laughter. The boy dropped to his knees and stared at the spot where Hikari just was. Noriko went over to him, along with both of their partners flying behind them.

"Koushiro," she said. "They're going to be okay, I know they will."

Koushiro let out a shaky breath. "Yeah… I know… Noriko, we'll talk more about this tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Noriko smiled grimly. She then looked over to Hyokomon on her shoulder. "And Hyokomon and I _will_ get the others back. We promise."


	2. The Heroes' Arrival

**I'm actually really excited about this story which isn't a feeling a normally have. Usually, it's reserved for when I'm writing a new chapter of Children of the Past. So, I hope you enjoy this newest installment and don't forget to leave a review. The prompt for this one is 'fast'.**

-X-

**May 10: Mirai Junior High School; Computer Lab – 4:28 PM**

Noriko was looking over Koushiro's shoulder as he pulled up the blueprints and a list of functions and codes for the D-Max. She glanced down at the device strapped to her wrist as she tried to memorize all the sequences while Koushiro explained each one. It wasn't very easy for her to keep up even being one of the smarter students in school.

"You don't have to remember them all right now," Koushiro reminded her. "Take it one at a time." He looked at the screen and pointed out one of the sequences. "Try this one out for size. It's supposed to be a stealth mode for Hyokomon."

Noriko looked to their partners that were flying around each other, playing, while some of the other students in the computer lab took pictures or stared at their antics. Even after three years, it was hard for ordinary people to get used to coexisting with the digital creatures. There were a couple of them who ignored them though.

"Hyokomon," she called.

Her partner stopped and fluttered over. "My services are at your disposal, Noriko-sama," he bowed.

"Definitely the most formal Digimon I've ever met," Koushiro chuckled before looking back to the other Chosen Child. "Ready?"

Noriko nodded, inputting the sequence into her D-Max and pointing it at Hyokomon. In the next second, he was no longer there, or at least, they couldn't see him there.

"Whoa," Tentomon buzzed. "He turned invisible!"

"Fascinating," Koushiro mused. He looked at his watch and when ten seconds passed, Hyokomon reappeared. He opened his mouth to say more about the D-Max when they heard a 'clang' and someone from outside shout.

"Incoming!"

Noriko grabbed Koushiro by the head and pulled him down. "Duck!"

The window behind them shattered as a baseball flew in and lodged itself into the computer they were using. The pair slowly got back up and stared at the shards of computer and glass littering the lab floor and then turned back around to look at the culprit. Noriko already had some idea of who it was.

Koushiro glanced out the window and saw a boy with short, spiky, brown hair wearing goggles and holding a baseball bat, waving at them. It was hard to see his facial expression but he seemed rather outgoing. "Sorry!" the boy shouted up to them.

"Takeshi-kun…," Noriko huffed. "Kintarou-kun is going to want him by the throat."

Koushiro wasn't really paying attention though; he was focused on the boy's goggles. "Noriko… I need you to do something for me. It's a little farfetched but…"

**May 10: Mirai Junior High School Entrance - 6:13 PM**

"Kintarou really chewed you out, senpai," a pink-haired first-year chuckled as Takeshi walked towards him. When they met up, they started walking together in the same direction. "This is the third time you broke a window but the first time you destroyed a computer while you were at it."

Takeshi muttered something foul about Kintarou under his breath. "Whatever, it's not my fault that I don't know my own strength. Thanks for having my back though, Yuki."

Yuki giggled. "Of course! It's the least I can do and I am the baseball club's manager, after all. I have to look out for everyone, especially you." He didn't mention the fact that the bigwigs sometimes drag him into the office anyway.

"Well, you're the best manager in the whole school," Takeshi laughed.

The pair talked a little more about baseball, why they both dislike Kintarou, and as they got closer to the train station, they changed the subject to Digimon. Yuki, in all honesty, didn't care much for the otherworldly beings but Takeshi was fascinated by them and he always wanted to meet Taichi or Daisuke.

"Do you think I could be a DigiDestined?" Takeshi asked.

Yuki smiled. "If it's you, senpai, I'm sure of it."

"Who do you think my partner would be? I would hope for Agumon!"

"If you really want to be a DigiDestined so badly, why don't you just ask Noriko-senpai about it?"

Takeshi drooped a little. "I doubt that it's that easy."

The two of them watched the train pull into the station. As they got in, they noticed two empty seats and sat down together.

"You didn't shower after practice," Yuki sniffed.

"What?" Takeshi blinked.

Yuki looked up. "That was just my nice way of saying you're sweaty."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't be, I was just pointing it out, but I really don't mind."

The two continued on their train ride in occasional silence until they pulled into Shinjuku train station and Yuki had to get off. When Takeshi's stop finally arrived, he adjusted his goggles and stepped out of the compartment, walking towards the stairs when something caught his eye.

"Is that...?" he murmured.

**May 11: Dark Ocean - 4:17 AM**

Dagomon sat upon his throne of bones as he kept his eyes closed. At first glance, you would think that he was asleep but the Deep Ones knew better.

"Master…," one of them croaked. "What are you thinking about?"

Dagomon opened his eyes and stared at the small orb where the sleeping form of Hikari laid. She didn't want to sleep in such a terrifying place but she succumbed to the exhaustion not too long ago. The octopus monster then turned to the tubes behind him and laughed when faced with the glaring eyes of the few children who were still awake. Mostly the hotheaded ones.

"You'll never get away with this!" Yamato snapped.

Miyako nodded in agreement. "Koushiro will get us out of here and then you're going down!"

The only other people awake were Taichi, Daisuke, and Takeru and all of them were much too worried about Hikari's state of being to shout profanities at the monster. It didn't really matter much anyway, Dagomon was completely unfazed by their ramblings and even though he didn't show it physically, they could all tell he was laughing at them.

Just then, the Deep One that had spoken earlier kneeled down in front of his master. "Master… If you would like, I could try and capture the last Chosen so that you may finally dispose of them. Their insults to you should end with their lives."

Dagomon laughed. "Really? I kind of find them amusing. But if it is your wish…" He pointed a slimy tentacle at the Deep One who started twisting and twitching like he was going through an exorcism. Dagomon began chanting ominously. "Fidelus servus Obscurum Oceanum. Nobilis miles de Chaos Army. Tu herum primulum novum!"

"Latin?" Miyako muttered.

The five humans couldn't take their eyes off of the horrendous sight as the shadows were slowly being stripped off the Deep One to reveal a brand new creature underneath.

The transformation was soon complete and the Digimon bowed to his master in gratitude. "I promise that I shall not fail you."

"See to it that you don't," Dagomon laughed.

**May 11: Mirai Junior High School – 3:15 PM**

When the last bell rang, Takeshi grabbed his bag and raced out of his classroom, leaving behind a trail of dust in his wake. He ran right past Yuki who was walking up to meet him. Takeshi kept running until he made it to class 3-A where he found Noriko packing up her bag.

"Noriko!" he called after her, causing her to jump and toss her book into the air which Hyokomon caught.

"Takeshi-kun?" Noriko blinked as she waited for her heartbeat to slow down. "You scared me and half of the classroom! What are you doing here? Don't you have practice today?"

Takeshi ignored her and quickly reached into the second bag he had brought with him that day. He pulled out a Digi-Egg, much to the class's surprise, and held it up to her. "I found this yesterday at the train station! Can I keep it?"

Noriko stared at the egg with wide eyes as she looked between it and Takeshi, thinking back to what Koushiro had told her yesterday about keeping her eyes on him. Koushiro theorized that this underclassman was possibly going to get his own partner but she never expected for the boy to be right, even if he was the Chosen Child of Knowledge.

"Hold on… I have to call Koushiro-san," she finally replied.

Noriko was supposed to have a meeting with the student council since she was the class representative so she excused herself but told Takeshi to wait for her in the room. By then, Yuki had already found the goggle-headed boy and practically tackled him.

"Senpai!" he whined. "Why did you just leave me like that? It really hurt!"

"Yuki!" Takeshi blinked as he quickly pushed his club manager off of him. "Sorry… But look!" The brunet held up the large egg and showed it to his kohai. "I found this when I got into my station last night! Do you think it means that I'm a DigiDestined too? I mean, it can't just be some random coincidence, right?"

Yuki gaped at the egg, never expecting this to actually happen in real life. But before he could reply, they heard someone scoff from the front of the room.

"As if an idiot like you can be a DigiDestined."

Takeshi shot a glare at the guy who said that who just so happened to be Kintarou Hayashi, his self-proclaimed nemesis. Kintarou had long, blond hair and his eyes were cool gray covered by rectangular glasses. Not only was he the vice president of the student body but he was also one of the most popular students at the school for his appearance, intellect, and athletic prowess. He wasn't supposed to be in that classroom though considering he was a second-year like Takeshi but they didn't question it.

"It's the perfect being who should not exist," Yuki whispered.

"We need a shorter name for him," Takeshi whispered back.

"How about… Mary Sue? It comes from an American term for perfect characters," Yuki replied.

Kintarou pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I can hear you even when you whisper, you know." He turned away from them and walked out of the room. "Forget it; I'm late for the student council meeting so have fun with your delusions."

Noriko was able to get permission from the student council president to skip the meeting so she went back to the classroom where Takeshi was waiting. Yuki insisted on coming along so, in the end, the three humans and Hyokomon left the school to meet up with Koushiro halfway.

"According to this message, Koushiro told us to meet him…," Noriko paused as she looked around. They were in a small, quiet neighborhood and the directions were pointing them towards an empty alleyway. "There…"

"But there's nothing-." Yuki started before the pavement in front of them suddenly rumbled, and shifted to reveal a staircase leading downwards into creepy darkness. "Never mind… Are there underground catacombs in Tokyo?"

Hyokomon ruffled his feathers. "Should we really go down there? It could be dangerous."

"When did Koushiro have the time to do this?" Noriko muttered.

They were all hesitant to enter this unknown place but as Takeshi was about to step inside, Tentomon had come out to greet them.

"Noriko!" Tentomon said cheerfully. "Koushiro is waiting for all of you downstairs, follow me."

The group glanced at each other before going downstairs but once the last one was inside, the staircase closed up. Now, if they were the victims of murder or some other crime, then there would be no one to save them. But Koushiro wasn't the type of person to do any of that, right?

"Whoa…," the group gaped when they finally reached the lit-up bottom.

They had walked into a circular room filled with sophisticated machinery and screens that lined the walls. There was nothing in the inside of the room so it was easy to walk around and at the far wall, they could see Koushiro at a keyboard, looking up at the massive screen in front of him. They saw three faces on the screen and they were all talking to Koushiro about something they weren't really listening to. Noriko recognized one of the faces as Gennai but she didn't know who the two men with sunglasses were.

"Thank you again for all of your support," Koushiro exhaled.

"It's not a problem Koushiro," the blond one replied, adjusting his shades. "Just give us a call if you ever need our help again."

"I'll keep that in mind," Koushiro smiled before the chat closed and only a swirly-patterned screensaver was left behind. The redhead pivoted around in his chair and welcomed the group. "It's good to see that you all made it here okay."

"What is this place?" Noriko gaped.

Unlike his other two human companions, Takeshi was exploring the room with Tentomon persisting that he shouldn't touch anything. Noriko realized this and quickly dragged the younger student back to the spot where they were standing before.

"This is my new base of operations as well as my living quarters, affectionately dubbed the Digi-Base," Koushiro replied. "It's a safe haven for me to ensure that I don't get captured by the Chaos Army while I stay in the human world. And all this equipment was given or donated to me by Gennai, Yamaki-san, and Satsuma-san."

"Who and who?" Hyokomon uttered, referring to the last two names.

"They're government officials from alternate universes," Koushiro chuckled. "A little over six years ago, an old man with a Clockmon called me and the others to another universe to work together with several other DigiDestined in defeating a powerful Digimon. It was quite the adventure, traveling to other worlds and meeting other humans with Digimon partners. The most interesting group was the Legendary Warriors but you guys don't need to know all of this."

"But I _want_ to know!" Takeshi piped up. His eyes were literally sparkling with enthusiasm.

Koushiro laughed a bit before getting serious, his pupils darting to the egg in the brunet's arms. "I guess my theory was correct. I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself; I am Izumi Koushiro."

Takeshi was actually jumping up and down with excitement. "I know who you are! You're the smart one of the group who provided theories and explanations to Taichi and the others!" He stopped jumping long enough to shake the older boy's hand. "I'm Yamada Takeshi."

Yuki noticed Koushiro was now looking at him so he quickly bowed in respect. "I'm Ueda Yuki. I know I'm intruding so I hope you don't find me rude."

Koushiro smiled. "Not at all." He then folded his arms across his chest as he focused on the egg. "Takeshi… I'm going to fill you in on what's been happening and after all that, you can decide if you would like to keep that egg or not. But if you do choose to keep it, then you have to swear to take care of it properly and to inform me of any sudden developments involving the egg."

Takeshi paused but it didn't take long for him to come up with a response. "I can already tell that this means something bad has happened. So, I'm going to tell you right now, even if it was during the time of the Dark Masters, I would still want a Digimon partner to help out."

A shadow passed by in Hyokomon's peripheral vision and he turned his head to try and find it but he didn't see anything, nor did he sense anything either. Noriko noticed her partner's suspicious expression. "Is something wrong?"

"No…," Hyokomon replied. "It was probably my imagination." He didn't think so but whatever the creature he saw was, it was too fast for him to figure it out. There was no point in worrying the others about it… He hoped.

**May 13: Odaiba Park – 5:16 PM**

"Why won't it hatch already?" Takeshi groaned impatiently.

"You're always trying to rush into things, Takeshi-kun," Noriko breathed. She was sitting on the grass, meditating and Yuki decided to join her. "Hatching a Digi-Egg takes time. Don't try to rush the course of nature."

"But I want a partner now!" Takeshi whined.

Yuki rolled his eyes as he stood back up and took the egg from his senpai's arms. "You're probably scaring him." He rubbed small circles onto the round surface. "You've got to be gentle and caring when it comes to babies. You don't know the first thing about being a father."

Takeshi frowned. "A father? I want to be a DigiDestined, not a parent."

"Caring for a baby Digimon can feel like it sometimes," Hyokomon informed him. "Yuki-dono has the right idea."

Takeshi reached over to take the egg back when Noriko's D-Max suddenly went off without warning, catching all of their attention. Noriko looked at the device on her wrist, trying to figure out what had just happened when Gennai's voice came out of it.

"Digimon emergence at Yagami High School!" beeped Gennai's voice. "Threat level: Armor."

Noriko didn't even hesitate as she grabbed her bag and ran off in the direction of Koushiro's high school which was about a fifteen minute jog from where they were, the two boys following right behind her. As they got closer to the high school, they saw students and faculty running away from the building. They paused in front of the school, contemplating their next move when they heard an explosion from behind the structure.

"That came from the baseball field!" Takeshi gasped as they took off.

When they reached the field, they saw Koushiro there, hiding in the dugout. But he wasn't the first person to catch their attention. They saw a bird-like human flying around, wailing like a banshee. One of her talons curled up and kicked Kabuterimon into the hard dirt, causing him to degenerate into Tentomon.

"Tentomon!" Koushiro called out.

Noriko punched in the sequence before Harpymon had the time to change trajectory and take Koushiro away. "D-Max Online! Charged Up Evolution!"

Harpymon uncurled her talons and tried to wrap them around the cornered Chosen Child when a katana blocked her. The avian creature squawked in surprised when she was face to face with another bird-man, Buraimon.

**Digital Analyzer: **Harpymon is a mythical animal Digimon possessing the upper body of a woman and wings in place of arms. They are known to be scavengers who hunt for valuable treasures in ruins; some have even lowered themselves to the ranking of thieves. What they lack in power, they make up for in terrifying speed.

Buraimon took pride in his own agility but when Harpymon detached herself from the blade and started circling the samurai, he started wondering if his own speed was going to be enough to keep up. Even when Noriko used the speed boost code, Buraimon still only ended up slashing through afterimages of the enemy.

"She's too fast!" said Buraimon.

Harpymon made a sudden stop in front of Buraimon and made a powerful flapping motion with her wings. "Wind Seeker!"

Noriko reacted by using the defense code sequence which helped protect her partner from taking damage from the attack. But as soon as the ten seconds were up, Harpymon shot forward and clawed at Buraimon's chest using her sharp talons.

"Buraimon!" Noriko gasped.

Takeshi started rubbing the egg again, faster. "Now would be a good time to have some extra Digimon help."

Buraimon slowly stood back up and started clashing with Harpymon, matching with her swiping talons but it was obvious that if this went on for too long, it would be the samurai who would give out first. Koushiro and Noriko were desperately trying to think of some sort of battle strategy but they couldn't think of anything that would help without having a second Digimon on their side.

"You must've been the one I sensed at the Digi-Base the other day," Buraimon grunted as he continued to parry blows. "Were you a spy trying to learn the secrets of the D-Max?"

Harpymon was genuinely confused by this sudden accusation but refused to let up her relentless assault. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about! I studied your battle with Devidramon so I know about your abilities as well as the capabilities of the new digivice."

Yuki slapped Takeshi's hands away from the egg. "If you keep doing it that hard, then the Digimon inside will keep shying away from you!" he scolded, taking the egg away again. At that moment, the egg started glowing which gained their attention.

"It's hatching!" Koushiro gasped.

"Yes!" Takeshi cheered.

When the glowing ceased, Yuki was now holding a small, circular Digimon. His mouth was a zigzag pattern and he had big round eyes that stared at Yuki with adorable curiosity. His pointed ears twitched a little as he took in his first breaths of fresh air. Koushiro was able to classify the baby Digimon as Dodomon.

"Papa!" Dodomon chimed cheerfully, looking right up at Yuki.

Tentomon slowly got up to his feet. "That's strange. Dodomon are extremely rare so I've never seen one myself. But I heard that they normally have aggressive personalities as soon as they're born. But this one doesn't seem all that aggressive at all."

"Who cares?" Takeshi blurted as he tried to grab the furball. But his attempt failed miserably as Dodomon turned around and started spitting metal balls at the boy's forehead causing Takeshi to fall to the ground after getting hit multiple times. "What was that about aggressive personality?" he groaned.

Dodomon did a 180 degree hop so that he was facing Yuki again, all signs of hostility had vanished and he was back to his adorable self, before Takeshi tried to forcefully grab him. "Papa!"

Yuki slowly raised the creature in his hands to eye-level. "You're… so...," he suddenly made an excited, high-pitched squeal and began avidly cuddling the newborn. "Cute! I never thought I'd see anything this adorable in my life!" Any other Dodomon would spit metal balls at the person who would have the nerve to cuddle the vicious Digimon, but not this one. As a matter of fact, it looked like he was even returning the gesture.

"Interesting," Koushiro said as he watched the development. "It seems that either Dodomon has rejected his partner or Yuki-kun is actually his partner."

Noriko's abrupt scream cut off his train of thought before it could reach the station. "Buraimon!"

Harpymon was able to disarm his foe, swatting the pair of swords away which firmly stuck into the ground in front of Tentomon who had passed out from this second near death experience. Buraimon no longer had weapons to shield himself and his partner couldn't activate any boost to help.

Takeshi noticed an aluminum baseball bat nearby, momentarily remembering that they were on a baseball field which he always considered to be his turf. He rolled over and grabbed onto it with his right hand as he used the momentum to get back on his feet. He tumbled forward and stopped in between the two winged monsters and swung the bat hard, right into Harpymon's stomach.

"Not even Daisuke has done something that reckless before," Koushiro remarked.

Takeshi watched as Harpymon crumpled to the ground and tried to get back up. But taking a metal bat, full force on the stomach wasn't exactly something even a Digimon could recover from so quickly.

"Impudent human," she struggled to say.

"Right now, I don't care about having a partner but I do care if you plan on destroying Buraimon," said Takeshi, trying to slow down his racing heart. "Noriko's partner and best friend… If you're going to make her cry then you're going to pay because no one…," He looked over to the others when he said this next part. "No one can make my friends cry without having to deal with me first."

"Friends?" Koushiro repeated. He hadn't even known the younger boy for longer than a few days but the conviction in the brunet's voice made it very clear that he was serious. Koushiro exhaled and crossed his arms. "He's more like Taichi and Daisuke than I thought."

"How sweet," Harpymon croaked. "I hate sweet!"

The mythical beast charged forward and with her talons grabbed the bat out of Takeshi's grasp and broke it right in half. He fell backwards and used his arms to shield his face, knowing that it would do nothing more than be a thin layer of protection but it was just his natural reaction. As Harpymon made to gouge his eyes out, something flew out from the top of the school building.

"Teen Ram!"

The new Digimon started spinning like a drill and crashed into Harpymon with his rotating tail, causing her to get lodged into the ground in front of Takeshi.

This Digimon had a long red cape, goggles hanging around his neck, and his appearance was of a white, mechanical dragon. Buraimon's eyes widened as he realized that this was the presence he had sensed that time at the Digi-Base.

"Who is he?" inquired Noriko.

The dragon turned over to Takeshi. "You're pretty gutsy for a human, and here I thought you were just a dreamer. But it was still pretty moronic to just run into an Armor Digimon's line of fire like that." He glanced over to Harpymon for a moment to make sure that she wasn't getting up just yet. "My name is Huckmon, the hero Digimon."

"Hero Digimon?" Takeshi repeated.

**Digital Analyzer: **Huckmon are an adventurous species that are capable of facing the direst of situations with cool composure. They have a masterful sense of combat and specialize in close combat that capitalizes on their keenness. But the most significant detail in this creature is their ability to hold their own even against Perfect level Digimon.

"That's quite an impressive Digimon," Koushiro acknowledged.

Harpymon was getting up again, and she did not look happy to see Huckmon. "You again!"

"You just don't quit," Huckmon scoffed. "If it weren't for your speed, you wouldn't have escaped from me last time." He then turned over to Takeshi. "Stay out of this one."

Takeshi slowly picked himself up from off the ground and firmly stood by Huckmon's side. "You may be able to hold your own against a Perfect, but you're still just a Child. I'm not the only one being reckless here."

"I don't need your help."

"I never said you did… But some help is better at getting the job done than none at all."

A faint smile tugged on Huckmon's lips. "If that's how you feel, then take the device attached to my goggles."

Takeshi blinked twice and reached down to the dragon's mantle where he found a crimson D-Max latched on to the goggles. He gasped and slowly removed it from the dragon's possession, causing the others to react in a similar fashion upon seeing the device.

"Another one?!" Harpymon screeched. "I can't let you have it! Wind-!"

Noriko had been keeping her mind on the minutes that ticked by and it's been five since the speed boost, so she punched in the sequence quickly. Buraimon felt the pulse go from the saffron cable into his body and moved to change Harpymon's trajectory which missed Takeshi and Huckmon by a several meters.

"Hurry!" Buraimon snapped.

Takeshi slapped the D-Max onto his wrist and punched in the 1-4-7 sequence for evolution. "D-Max Online! Charged Up Digivolution!" For a split second, Takeshi didn't think it would work, that it wasn't possible for the ideal partner to just show up and give him a digivice. He expected nothing spectacular but his doubts vanished as quickly as they came when a crimson cable latched itself to Huckmon's heart and enveloped him in a bright glow.

"Huckmon Digivolve to…" His body became bigger and much more angular as his strength increased exponentially. His overall appearance didn't change all too much, he was still sleek white and wore a long red cape, but there was no doubt that he was stronger. "BaoHuckmon!"

Harpymon slowly took a step back from the fierce beast. "Just who are you?"

BaoHuckmon took a stance as he stared down the mythical beast with a superior glare. "I am BaoHuckmon! The hero Digimon and future member of the Royal Knights! For threatening the lives of the humans on Earth, I will make certain that you receive divine judgment."

"Royal Knight?" Harpymon laughed shakily. "Ha! You are nothing compared to them! I'm not scared of your 'divine judgement'." That was what she said but it was very clear that she was terrified from the way she was trembling in his presence.

**Digital Analyzer: **Through intense training, BaoHuckmon has honed his abilities technically, mentally, and physically to become even more fearsome than he had been in his previous form. They can only grow to this Adult form after gaining a lifetime of combat experiences which they had gained through engaging in combat with powerful foes.

"What's a Royal Knight?" Noriko asked the older Chosen Child who shrugged in response.

Buraimon staggered over to them and degenerated to Hyokomon. "A Royal Knight is someone who serves the Four Holy Beasts and they are known to be some of the strongest Digimon in the world. But I've never heard of one that was in training to become one."

"Okay! Let's do this!" Takeshi stated confidently. He punched in the speed boost sequence and BaoHuckmon took off.

"Fif Cross!" BaoHuckmon made a slashing, perpendicular motion with his flaming claws. And thanks to the extra speed, he was too swift for even Harpymon to avoid the attack. She barely got away with a couple of burns and scratches as she crashed into the metal fence.

"It's over! Time for divine judgment!" Takeshi and his partner said together.

The attack boost pulsed into the dragon as he turned around, having his sharp, blade-like tail make the finishing blow. "Teen Blade!" Harpymon screamed as she was cut right down the middle, her data slowly floating to the sky if it hadn't been for Takeshi returning it to egg form.

The brunet exhaled in relief before running over and embracing the now degenerated Huckmon. "That was awesome! We make a super awesome team!"

"I suppose," Huckmon replied emotionlessly.

Yuki and Dodomon joined in the celebration while the others stayed behind to talk about what they had just witnessed.

"Does this mean that Yuki is going to be one of us too?" Noriko inquired.

Koushiro shrugged. "I can't tell. A D-3 didn't show up when Dodomon did, so who knows. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess so," Noriko nodded. "It's been a crazy few days."

Koushiro agreed. He could hardly believe how fast everything has happened. "Blink and you miss all of it."


	3. Distinct Human Lives

**Didn't mean to put it off for so long. Sorry about that. This chapter's prompt is 'distinct'. Thank you all for supporting this story and I hope you enjoy this newest (and absurdly long) installment. Don't forget to leave a review!**

-X-

**May 16: Ueda Residence – 6:51 PM**

Yuki laid on his stomach while watching the news in a magenta t-shirt and a pair of white cotton shorts that only stopped mid-thigh. Definitely not the type of clothes most teenage boys want to be caught wearing but Yuki didn't care. They were comfortable and he liked them.

Dodomon had evolved just a few hours after he had hatched three days ago, so he was now currently a Dorimon which basically meant that he now had four tiny stubs for feet. Otherwise, he was unchanged, currently snug in the human boy's arms.

The news showed Koushiro at a press conference as he talked to a bunch of reporters of the sudden influx of dangerously rogue Digimon as well as the disappearance of the other Chosen Children. He advised people be wary of their surroundings, stay cautious outdoors, and to give him a call if they learn anything suspicious. He also introduced Takeshi Yamada and Noriko Kawada as the first two members of a whole new generation of Chosen, prepared to protect the human world.

"Papa?" Dorimon blinked as he looked up at Yuki. He spoke slowly, just like a child would if he wanted to sound like he knew his stuff. "Will I be like Huckmon and Hyokomon?"

Yuki glanced down at the ball of fur wrapped in his arms. "Maybe…," Yuki hadn't cared about Digimon, not until Dorimon entered his life at least. But while he loved the Digimon, he didn't care enough to fight like a Chosen. Besides, it's been three days and he hasn't received a digivice of any model yet so he guessed he just wasn't good enough, but this was just another thing he simply didn't care about.

"I don't really want to fight…," Dorimon slowly articulated.

Yuki held himself back from cuddling the adorable creature. "You won't have to." He thought back to how Tentomon mentioned that Dorimon was a violent species. "No way."

Dorimon snuggled even closer to the boy. "But I would to protect you."

"I'd do the same for you."

At that moment, the front door opened and Yuki's mother called for him. He quickly got up and met his mother halfway, helping her sit down on a chair at the kitchen table.

"Yuki-chan, how was your day at school?" his mother asked with a large yawn.

"It was great," Yuki answered vaguely. "I made curry for dinner tonight, I'll just warm it up." He grabbed the plate of curry and placed it into the oven. "I hope you like it."

"Yuki-chan, you are such a sweet boy," Ms. Ueda grinned. "I feel so lucky and proud to call you my son."

Yuki nodded, biting his lower lip and his mother knew immediately what her son was thinking about. He would never admit it to be one of the few things he actually cared about. Yuki didn't miss that man, not in the slightest and it's not like that man was too special to his mother either. But Yuki knew that it was because of him, that man was no longer in their lives. And that's why his mother always came home from work, looking ready to die from exhaustion.

Dorimon stood at the doorway as he watched Ms. Ueda eat the curry. The beast Digimon has known since the second he was born, that Yuki carried two lives, distinct two lives. He remembered the first time he was in this house, after Koushiro was persuaded to allow Yuki to take care of him instead of sending him back to the Digital World.

"_Papa?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Where is __your__ papa?"_

Dorimon would never forget the expression of pain that passed over Yuki's face when he asked that question.

**May 17: Mirai Junior High School - 12:07 PM**

Takeshi and Huckmon watched from the doorframe as Yuki personally fed Dorimon some of the home cooking he had packed into his bento box. The cute little creature being fed by the adorable first-year had attracted quite the crowd of girls to his desk. Takeshi had to admit, he was slightly envious of his underclassman.

"Yuki seems popular," Huckmon commented.

Takeshi shook his head. "Not with everyone." His eyes darted over to a group of guys whispering in the back of the room. Nasty looks in their eyes. "I know those knuckleheads have something against Yuki."

"What?" inquired Huckmon.

Takeshi glanced back at Yuki, at the vibrant head of pink hair and the black roots that were finally starting to show. "Yuki… He isn't like most guys. What most guys around here would probably call sick or disgusting, is what I'd like to call really brave."

Huckmon frowned. "How is Yuki different from other humans?" he asked. "He doesn't seem any different."

"Well, let me put it this way," Takeshi sighed. "Humans, for some stupid reason, like classification. And one way we categorize people is by their sexual orientation, the most common one of them being heterosexuality. Yuki doesn't fall into that category and because humans dislike the unknown, people like Yuki are discriminated against."

There were a few things Huckmon couldn't understand and Takeshi noticed, but before he could answer, Noriko, from behind did it for him.

"It means that Yuki is attracted to guys and people think it's unnatural or wrong," said Noriko. "Because of his attraction to males instead of females, guys are repelled. However, since this is the twenty-first century and it's becoming more acceptable internationally, it's become easier for guys like Yuki to come out of the closet nowadays. That still doesn't make it easy though, just _easier_ than it had been a decade or two ago."

"I'm not sure I completely understand but I get the gist of it," Huckmon nodded.

Hyokomon flapped his wings and landed on Noriko's shoulder. "Well, I guess as long as Yuki-dono is happy, then we shouldn't care too much about it."

"Yeah, true," Takeshi grinned. "Everyone on the baseball team doesn't care, that's for sure."

Just then, they saw someone pass them in the halls with a group of girls following him. Huckmon immediately recognized the guy as Kintarou, the one Takeshi had gloated to after discovering that his partner was Huckmon. He was basically saying a ton of stuff about how he was right that he could be a Chosen and that Kintarou was a loser. The blond boy just ignored the bragging and the insult which succeeded in making Takeshi furious which was probably the intended result.

"Is he like Yuki?" questioned Huckmon.

Takeshi opened his mouth to answer but paused, as if pondering the question. "Yes."

"Takeshi, you don't know that," Noriko chided. "And Yuki would tell you that it's wrong to use that as an insult."

"But I'm not," Takeshi said defensively. "I genuinely think he's gay. I mean, he's being followed by Chiyuki-san of all girls and he doesn't seem to care at all. Any straight guy would absolutely love the attention from a girl that gorgeous."

This time, Noriko rolled her eyes _and_ crossed her arms along with a disapproving scoff. "Of course you would think that."

"Something's wrong," Takeshi suddenly said.

"Besides your testosterone levels?" Noriko quipped.

Takeshi ignored the comment as his eyes focused on Yuki. "Usually, he would've noticed me by now."

"Let's not forget your modesty," Huckmon added.

Once again, the insult ignored. "No, I mean, whenever I'm close by, it's like Yuki's radar or whatever, detects my presence somehow. By this time, he should've hugged me."

Noriko thought about it. "Come to think of it, that does happen a lot."

At that moment, their D-Maxes started beeping and they heard the robotic voice of Gennai speaking out of their devices. There was a big problem; apparently, five threats were detected just outside the city, all of them were at the Adult level.

"Duty calls," Huckmon muttered.

"What about your classes?" Hyokomon inquired.

Takeshi called out to Yuki who looked up. "Hey! We've got some business to take care of, think you can make excuses to our teachers?" Yuki nodded, knowing what he meant, which was their cue to take off with their partners. "Thanks!"

**May 17: City Outskirts; Bamboo Thicket - 12:31 PM**

"This is like something from straight out of a ninja movie," said Takeshi.

Noriko glanced down at her saffron D-Max which was setting off alarm signals like crazy. "I think you need more than a bamboo thicket to qualify as a 'ninja movie'."

The four of them wandered around the thicket, trying to pinpoint where exactly the rogue Digimon signals were coming from. Wherever they were, they couldn't seem to find them. They found an old shrine with a statue of a man sitting cross-legged in front of it. It was wearing a shiny set of samurai armor.

"Now it _really_ feels like a ninja movie," said Takeshi as he stepped closer to the armor.

"More like a horror film if you ask me," Noriko corrected. "And this is usually the part where that suit of armor turns out to be the spirit of a restless samurai ghost wanting to enact revenge on someone. In this case, I'm hoping it's not us."

Huckmon sniffed the air before sharply turning to the suit of armor. "Takeshi, get out of the way!"

"Huh?" the brunet turned around, his back facing the statue which was a big mistake. Just like Noriko had said earlier, the statue came to life in the form of Musyamon, a monster Miyako had fought back in Kyoto three years ago. And if Noriko hadn't reacted lightning quick, Takeshi would've been mincemeat.

Takeshi couldn't even register what had just happened when he heard two metals clashing against each other from behind him. From his peripheral vision, he saw two samurais with their swords drawn in a locked stalemate as they stared each other down.

"Are you okay?" Noriko asked the younger boy.

Takeshi nodded. If he hadn't been fighting Digimon for the last three days, he probably would've been shaken up by the fact that he was at death's door just a moment ago. "I'm good. But that was swift, inputting both the evolution code and the speed boost code one after the other, I'm impressed. Thanks for the save."

"No problem," Noriko returned.

Buraimon struggled to keep his lock with the powerful Musyamon as he felt the presence of four other Digimon racing along the top of the bamboo branches. "Huckmon!"

"I know!" Huckmon responded. He leapt into the air at the same time four silhouettes leapt out from their cover, swords drawn to strike down the bird-man. Takeshi immediately evolved his partner to BaoHuckmon, much more suited for combat, or in this case, defense. "Teen Blade!" His sharp tail propelled the four assailants away from their target by blocking their katanas mid-slash.

"Who are they?" Takeshi blinked as he saw the four round Digimon.

"Ninjamon and Kogamon," Noriko answered. "Miyako told me about a time when she fought a Ninjamon but I've never seen the latter until now."

The Kogamon twins sneered at their red counterparts. "Why are you two always more recognizable than we are?"

The Ninjamon replied simultaneously, just like the other two. "It's just basic proof that we are the stronger ones."

Musyamon pushed forward, ending the deadlock that he was in with Buraimon as they both took a leap back. The humans couldn't tell if the two Adults were sizing each other up or just plain staring at each other, like that was part of some sort of unwritten samurai code.

"Where is Dracmon?" demanded Musyamon.

Buraimon was surprised by this sudden question. "What are you talking about?"

"He escaped from our master's lab," the two Kogamon said.

"We must retrieve him," the two Ninjamon added.

Musyamon stared at the group of Chosen and their partnered Digimon before sheathing his blade and turning away. "We would've captured him if you had not shown up when you did. Next time, stay out of our way or we will cut you down." They didn't have to look at him to feel the intensity in his eyes when he said it.

"Musyamon-sensei?" the two Kogamon ventured.

"What are we to do now?" inquired the two Ninjamon.

BaoHuckmon and Buraimon tensed up as they prepared for an attack from the warrior Digimon. Their human partners had their hands hovering right above their D-Maxes, ready to input a power boost code if it became necessary. But to their surprise, and the ninjas' presumably, Musyamon gave a bitter one-word answer.

"Retreat."

With that, his underlings threw their hands to the ground and a smokescreen enshrouded their foes. BaoHuckmon and Buraimon ran into the smoke to stop them but it was already too late, they were nowhere in sight. It was rather frustrating but a little relieving to know that they didn't have to combat such a large group of opponents all at once.

"What was that all about?" BaoHuckmon questioned as he degenerated back to Huckmon.

"I do not know," Hyokomon replied. "It does not make sense for them to fall back like that."

Noriko had a thumb to her chin as she thought about it. Almost nothing that had happened made sense in this non-battle. After all, they weren't after Koushiro like the Digimon they usually fought, they were after another Digimon. But for what reason? And they claimed that this other Digimon had escaped from a lab. She doubted that Dagomon was performing secret experiments in a basement or something. Could this mean that Musyamon's gang was working for someone else? And if so, then who?

Takeshi rubbed his head in agitation. "Gah! No matter how many ways I spin it, there's just no good explanation!" He stomped his foot and pointed in the direction past the old shrine. "I say we go after them and force an explanation out of them!"

Huckmon exhaled in exasperation. "We don't even know if they went that way. We could search for days and still not find them." He then turned away and murmured under his breath. "Gankoomon must've made some mistake…"

"What was that?" Takeshi blinked.

"Forget it," Huckmon huffed.

Noriko stared at the spot where Musyamon had been earlier, when he was pretending to be a stone statue. No, pretending was the wrong word to use here. He wasn't faking it by staying perfectly still; his texture and appearance even made him look like stone. Last time she checked, that wasn't an ability of the samurai Digimon.

She glanced down at her D-Max and tapped a few buttons but nothing really happened. "I guess these things can't track them either. How are we supposed to get answers for the seemingly endless list of questions we have?"

"We could always ask Gennai," Hyokomon offered.

"Or what about Dracmon?" added Huckmon. "That was the Digimon Musyamon was searching for."

"Sure, but where do we find Dracmon?" Takeshi asked his partner. "We don't even know who he is."

"I could answer that for you."

All heads turned to the shadowy figure that just dropped down in front of them. When he was standing still, they could see that it was definitely a Digimon, toddler-sized, wearing a dark hood with eye-shaped decorations on each side. He was wearing black leather pants along with boots, each with three spikes protruding out of the fronts. He had a big toothy grin plastered on his face and his skin was pale blue. To end the creepy details they caught on this Digimon were his hands, not only did they end with sharpened nails but his palms had opened for a second and they all caught a glimpse of an eyeball staring back at them.

Hyokomon's eyes narrowed at the new Digimon. "Dracmon."

"A virus Digimon of darkness…," Noriko shuddered. She couldn't help being reminded of BelialVamdemon and how he took advantage of the darkness in the spore children's hearts to become stronger. She was also reminded of Hikari's warning to be wary of Digimon associated with the element of darkness.

**Digital Analyzer**: Dracmon is known to be some of the most mischievous Digimon in the Digital World. For the sake of any prank, they will go to impossible lengths to complete it, no matter what the risk may be, without flinching. According to one tale, a Dracmon once almost got killed for trying to graffiti the faces of the Four Holy Beasts. Formerly bloodsucking Digimon, they have forgotten and are more occupied with trying to pull pranks on the Royal Knights.

Huckmon's expression flattened as he stared at the vampire Digimon. "Hopefully you're not like that other Dracmon I've known."

"That's a fine way to greet an old friend," Dracmon grinned.

"Oh no…," Huckmon groaned.

Dracmon pouted. "I can't believe you couldn't even recognize me." His goofy grin reappeared on his face as he started running around the caped dragon. "Still, when I heard that you were going to be in training to become a Royal Knight, I just _had_ to follow you through that digital gate! I'm glad I did! There are so many new people to prank and humans have such funny reactions! They run and call these guys wearing blue to chase me off."

"That explains how you're here…," Huckmon muttered irately.

"Wait…," Noriko paused, thinking back to the news and how they had mentioned a costumed child playing pranks on people in a nearby park. "That was you?"

"Never mind that," Takeshi shook his head. "Can you tell us what you know about those goons?"

Dracmon's smile never once dropped from his face as he threw himself into the story. "They are bad news. They're working for this old man by the name of Saiger or something? Anyway, somehow, that old guy got control of them and I got captured too. But I fled his creepy lab before he could do anything to me."

Hyokomon's eyes widened. "A human?"

For a brief moment, Noriko wondered if it was a spore child just like her and her hand instinctively flew to the back of her neck. But then she remembered that Dracmon had specified that this was an old man and none of the spore children were that old yet. She relaxed just a little bit but it was still unnerving to know that another human was involved and was possibly torturing innocent Digimon or worse.

"We have tell Koushiro," Noriko resolved.

Takeshi nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

Before they turned to head back into the city, Huckmon stared at Dracmon. "You're coming with us too."

"Nuh-uh, no way," Dracmon shook his head. "You guys are probably going to send me back to the Digital World. Well, it ain't happening!"

"Well we can't leave you on your own," said Noriko. "You're a disturbance to the peace with all of your juvenile pranks so I'm going to have to ask you to come with us quietly or we will have to use force to reprimand you."

"Disturbance? Juvenile? Reprimand?" Dracmon repeated. "Man, this chick is a riot."

Noriko's cheeks flushed as she felt herself losing her cool. But before she could say more, Dracmon took off, much faster than they would've thought he could.

"We should not waste time dwelling on this," Hyokomon reminded them, snapping his partner out of it.

"Huh? Oh… Right…," Noriko nodded. "I guess we can always track him down later."

**May 17: Digi-Base – 1:14 PM**

Koushiro's and Tentomon's eyes widened at the mention of the name 'Saiger' which meant that it struck a chord in their minds. They knew someone by that name, or at least something that sounded similar. But neither of them mentioned a word about it until after Noriko finished retelling everything that had happened to them minutes ago outside the city.

"You know this 'Saiger' guy, don't you…," said Noriko.

"That would depend," Koushiro muttered before swiveling around to face the computer screen. He pulled up an e-mail he had received from someone by the name of Shuu Kido which Noriko remembered vaguely to be Jou's older brother and one of the founders of the RED, which was the leading facility on uncovering the secrets of the Digital World and keeping a good relationship going between the two worlds.

"What's that?" Takeshi asked.

"An e-mail Shuu sent to me," Koushiro admitted sheepishly. His eyes skimmed through the entire message and they could see him biting his lower lip, like he was either concentrating really hard or feeling nervous about something. Knowing him, it was probably a mix of both. "Dr. Zeiger somehow escaped the maximum security prison and he's currently at large."

Noriko's brow furrowed. "Dr. Zeiger? Why is that name so familiar to me?"

"A better question is; who is he?" Huckmon questioned.

Koushiro swiveled back around and they could all tell that it was story time. "Two months after the BelialVamdemon incident, Shuu started RED so that we could learn more about the Digital World without harming the natural life forms and maintain a healthy relationship between the worlds. Obviously, he needed help and I was still a student, so he enlisted people who were interested to work with him. One of them was a German scientist and programmer by the name of Viktor Zeiger, making him one of RED's founding members."

Takeshi already seemed lost. "Wait, what's RED?"

"A color," Huckmon answered, shaking his cape a little as an example.

Hyokomon shook his head. "Actually, Koushiro-dono is referring to Research and Exploration of the Digi-World, otherwise known as RED."

"That explains how I know him," Noriko mumbled.

Koushiro continued. "The organization has grown in the past three years with branches all over the world, though the main one is near Tokyo University where Shuu works. Anyway, Dr. Zeiger was fascinated with the idea of Digimon being reborn and he wanted to study it further, not accepting any of our explanations of how the Digital World works just like the Internet. Nothing can be deleted permanently. We didn't try to stop his endeavors though as it seemed harmless enough but then Shuu discovered something disturbing."

Noriko remember now from the news articles she had read. "He was performing his independent research on a Botamon and the Baby was being tortured because of the experiments he conducted. His project was shut down and he was kicked out of RED, right?"

"Exactly," Koushiro nodded.

Huckmon frowned at the thought of a Baby Digimon suffering. "Why would he do that though? Why is he so fascinated with digital rebirth?"

"His motivation for this project runs deeper than that," Koushiro sighed. "He didn't just want to know the secret of rebirth, but he wanted humans to be reborn too. He wanted to fool death itself by making humans immortal through reincarnation." Koushiro paused as he tapped his index finger on his knee, trying to choose his next words carefully. "He also had a strong desire to destroy the Digital World; he wanted the complete eradication of all Digimon."

"Why?" Noriko gasped.

"Because he hates Digimon," Koushiro breathed. "Seven years ago, Dr. Zeiger's wife was visiting Japan at the same time of Vamdemon's invasion. She attempted to flee the Bakemon by hiding on the roof of a tall building but she was caught quickly by Vamdemon. While I don't know the specifics, I do know that she fell from that building and died upon impact. So now, her husband, Zeiger seeks both the destruction of Digimon as well as the secret to digital rebirth."

"To revive his wife…," Noriko realized when she pieced it together.

"Precisely," Koushiro nodded.

Takeshi played with his belt loop as he tried to figure out what to do with this newly divulged information. "It would be good if we could be reincarnated but I don't like the thought of that old guy manipulating innocent Digimon to do his dirty work."

"Takeshi, humans can't cheat death!" Koushiro snapped harshly.

They were surprised by his sudden outburst though Tentomon had a good idea of what his partner was thinking about.

"Okay, sorry…," Takeshi said.

Huckmon thought back to their non-battle. "What I don't understand is how Zeiger is controlling those Digimon."

Koushiro took a deep breath, preparing himself to dive into another explanation. "A year ago, we discovered that Zeiger had been continuing his research in secret so we took it upon ourselves to put a stop to his plans. He escaped and soon realized that he would always have to be on the run if he wanted to continue his project, so instead, he decided to try and distract us. He stole files from RED concerning the Black Gears and Evil Rings. He used that data to develop the Shadow Serum which he injects into the data stream of any Digimon and to make them his mindless slaves. Because these Digimon didn't have an external object for us to destroy, we had no choice but to permanently destroy the Digimon. My guess is that he's using the Shadow Serum on Musyamon and his group."

Noriko stiffened at the unspoken suggestion. "You're saying we have to permanently delete them?"

"No," Koushiro replied. "With the Digivice Maximums, we'll be able to revert them to Digi-Egg form in the human world so there will be no need for needless destruction. This way, I can ask Shuu to do some research on it to see if it's possible to extract the Shadow Serum out of their system."

"Good…," Hyokomon relaxed. "I cannot bear the thought of permanently deleting one of my digital brethren."

"I can't believe that Zeiger is using Digimon to reach his goal of deleting Digimon," Takeshi shook his head in disgust. "Talk about cruel irony."

Koushiro glanced at the time. "You two should probably head back to school. I'll keep you in the loop if anything happens on the grid." The younger Chosen Children nodded and were about to head off when the redhead remembered something else. "Oh, and keep tabs on Yuki too!"

"Right!" they called back behind them before resurfacing into Japan.

**May 17: Mirai Junior High School - 3:19 PM**

Takeshi glanced into Yuki's classroom and was surprised to see that the younger boy was nowhere to be found. Usually, Yuki would be patiently waiting for the baseball player to greet him or run straight upstairs and tackle him. There was definitely something off about him today.

The thought that Yuki had a boyfriend crossed Takeshi's mind and that would be great but that didn't seem right. Knowing his kohai, Yuki would probably talk non-stop about the guy to Takeshi. He could barely shut up about anything when it was good. But by that logic, that would mean something negative had happened to Yuki but that was impossible. After all, Yuki was always smiling and it's not like bad things even affected him. He was practically immune to pessimism.

"What in the world is happening with him?" Takeshi muttered worriedly.

Yuki was already down by the entrance, putting on his outdoor shoes. He pretended not to hear the whispering jeers and snide remarks that were being made behind his back because they aren't supposed to affect him. Because no one but Yuki can feel those effects.

"Papa?" Dorimon blinked.

"Come on, let's go home" Yuki sighed.

The boy couldn't pinpoint his lack of focus either. Maybe the line drawn between his distinct lives was finally starting to blur. But why? Was it because Dorimon entered his life? Possibly. The small Digimon was making him wish he could express himself more freely publicly. Kind of ironic since everyone thought he was the most open person about his emotions ever. But that wasn't true and he knew it. But no one else did.

Yuki slowly marched home and he wasn't really paying any attention to anything going on around him. He held on tighter to Dorimon who knew for sure something was wrong with the human. But he didn't say anything; he didn't want to pry into Yuki's private affairs.

"My Papa…," Yuki suddenly realized, stopping mid-step.

Dorimon slowly looked up when a cold teardrop fell on his forehead. "Papa?"

Yuki wiped his eyes with his sleeve which always went past his wrists. "I called him 'Papa' before he left us. That's why I'm thinking about him now after two years. Hearing you call me that, it keeps making me think that I'll do better than he did one day."

"Why did your Papa leave?" Dorimon asked cautiously. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to prod yet.

"Because I came home one day with dyed pink hair and told Papa my biggest secret; that I'm gay," Yuki admitted. The tears he kept inside escaped. "In one second, all the happy memories, all the past birthdays, everything was shattered as if they had been an illusion. Papa was so upset; I had never seen him in such a state. He stayed that way for a week, uttering only monosyllabic replies to me. And one day, I came home from school, thinking we got robbed. When in truth, Papa just picked up his stuff and left for good. He never came back and he took a ton of our money. So my mother and I were forced to move to a smaller home. She took on so many jobs just to support us; I'm surprised I haven't had to see her in the hospital. I… I ended up resenting Papa for doing this to us but now I realize, I still miss him…"

"But it wasn't your fault," Dorimon said. "I don't completely get it but I don't think you can change who you are."

Yuki shook his head. "But the fact is, I was so mad that my memories of him changed. I could only remember the bad ones and forgot all the times we would have a barbecue during a cherry blossom viewing and I would run up to him and latch onto his waist. No man could fake joy like that. I could've tried to talk to him, make him understand that it wasn't his fault. But I didn't, I just let him sulk and then he ran off."

"Papa…," Dorimon's ears drooped. "I think… I think you're being too hard on yourself. We all makes mistakes. You're not at fault because your papa could've stayed and given you a chance. But he didn't. And the important thing is that you learn from the past, don't live in it because that's done."

Yuki wiped away the last of his tears. "Yeah… You're right. You know, for a newborn, you're incredibly wise."

Dorimon's eyes sparkled at the compliment but before he could respond, his fur started bristling at the sense of danger. He snapped at Yuki to move and for a short moment, Yuki hesitated to do so until a shuriken was sent flying in his direction. He quickly sidestepped the projectile just as five warrior Digimon appeared in front of them, causing the people around them to run away in fear. Koushiro's warning advising them on what to do on the news last night was effective.

Dorimon hopped out of Yuki's arms and growled at the five Digimon. "Who are you? What do you want from Papa?"

"I am Musyamon and these are my shinobi warriors, Ninjamon and Kogamon," the samurai replied. "And it's not what _we_ want. It's what our master wants; a digivice."

"I don't have a digivice," Yuki tried, hoping they would leave him alone and Dorimon unhurt. After all, the other Chosen Children had a better chance of taking them down, more than he did, at least. "Sorry, but whoever your master is, he sent you to the wrong guy."

"Liar!" Musyamon snapped, his eyes narrowed menacingly at the growling Dorimon. "A child who is bonded with a Digimon is given a digivice, making him a Chosen Child. Our master is never wrong about these things."

"Well he is this time," Yuki muttered under his breath.

Musyamon's eyes flared to show that he heard Yuki's words with his acute hearing. He slowly drew his sword as he approached the pair threateningly.

"You've insult our master," Musyamon glowered. Yuki took a step back and stumbled on the curb, falling onto his butt. Dorimon continued to stand between them with a growling expression which wasn't very intimidating. "If you will not give me your digivice, then I shall pry them from your cold, dead fingers."

"Never!" Dorimon snapped.

A voice from behind, shouted out his name. "Yuki!"

The pink-haired boy was too frightened to turn away from the samurai but he recognized the voice to belong to Takeshi. "Help," he croaked out, hoping Takeshi had heard.

Takeshi and Noriko were trying to get there as quickly as they could as Musyamon drew back his blade. They were about to punch in the speed boost codes so that maybe their partners would make it there in time, but then a rose-colored glow emanated from Dorimon, enveloping everything within a five meter radius.

"Whoa!" Noriko blinked, wondering if she was hallucinating.

"Did Dorimon just…?" Takeshi gaped.

Musyamon's surprised face confirmed it as he found his katana stopped by the sharp teeth of Dorumon, the Child form of Dorimon. His body shape was reptilian-like but the fur made it obvious that he is a beast Digimon, and a pretty tough one at that to stop an Adult Digimon's attack. The other surprising part was the device that was floating just above Yuki's head.

Hyokomon's eyes widened. "A D-Max!"

Huckmon smiled momentarily. "So Yuki really is a Chosen."

Musyamon pulled away from the angered Dorumon while Yuki glared at Musyamon for endangering his partner's life.

"Stay away from Papa," Dorumon snarled.

"An overgrown rat can't stop me!" shouted Musyamon.

The warrior grabbed Dorumon by the throat and threw the beast against a brick wall. Yuki got up and ran after his partner as he secured the rose D-Max to his wrist. The Ninjamon and Kogamon leapt forward in an attempt to stop Yuki as the other two humans quickly punched in the evolution codes into their own D-Maxes.

"D-Max Online! Charged Up Evolution!"

"Huckmon Digivolve to… BaoHuckmon!" "Hyokomon Digivolve to… Buraimon!"

Buraimon used his two katanas to stop a Ninjamon and a Kogamon each from striking out with their own weapons.

BaoHuckmon twisted his body in a way that allowed his red cape to get caught in the other Kogamon's eyes, blindsiding him while using his tail to whip the other Ninjamon to the pavement.

"Dorumon!" Yuki cried out as he cradled his partner's head in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Dorumon groaned. He clearly wasn't very convincing.

"Use the stamina boost!" Noriko told Yuki.

Yuki blinked, not knowing what she was asking of him when he remembered the device on his wrist. He didn't remember the codes so he had to wait after Noriko called out the numbers before punching them in. At the same time, Musyamon was standing over the small human and his eyes shimmered with malice as he dropped a smokescreen, shrouding them from view and when the smoke cleared, they were gone.

**May 17: Building Rooftop – 4:17 PM**

Yuki fell onto his butt when he suddenly found himself high above the city streets. He was able to recognize a couple of the buildings around him so he figured that he was in the Shinjuku district. He would've searched for his house if he hadn't noticed the two Digimon with him.

Musyamon pointed at Yuki's face with his sword. "Give me that digivice."

Dorumon put himself between Yuki and Musyamon, his pupils dilated and his fur bristling wildly. This time, unlike in his previous form, he actually did look intimidating.

"Stay away from him!" Dorumon growled.

"Why would you protect such a puny human?" Musyamon questioned angrily.

Yuki's heart and mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do next. For once, he wished he had paid closer attention when Koushiro was explaining the codes of the D-Max.

Yuki glanced down at the device he never even wanted in the first place. He never made any conscious decision or wishes to be a Chosen Child.

According to Koushiro, if you had seen a Digimon, then you become a Chosen. But at this point in time, the entire world has seen a Digimon at least once before. So why was Yuki specifically chosen out of the other millions of kids on Earth?

He wondered if he should just hand over the D-Max; get this whole thing over with. Takeshi and Noriko might be disappointed in him for doing something so weak but could they blame him? He's never been in a life or death situation before and they would probably want him to live, right? He has the choice of relenting possession of the digivice and living, or dying and having the device taken anyway. The choice was pretty obvious.

But before he could get the words out, Dorumon spoke up.

"Because Yuki is my Papa!" his partner stated firmly. "I made a promise to him, that I would protect him and he'd do the same for me, no matter what! He's also my partner now and that D-Max is proof of that! I can't let you take it!"

Yuki just sat there stunned. "Dorumon…"

"Foolish Digimon," Musyamon scoffed in disgust. "Your human is a weakling, he is trembling. How can he protect you?"

The D-Max… What was the code that made the Digimon grow? Yuki had a feeling that it was really obvious.

"You're wrong!" Dorumon shouted, his conviction rising with every word. "Yuki is stronger than any human I've ever met! He's been trying so hard to maintain two distinct lives at the same time. When other humans worry about appearances, Yuki doesn't care! And he's taking care of his mother and his house while juggling schoolwork and being the baseball club's manager all at once! And in his second life, he cries when everything becomes too much and he's not afraid to find someone to help!"

Yuki stared silently. Dorumon noticed all of those things about him and he never even let the little guy in. But Dorumon was wrong. He did care, not about everything but about some things, like when the guys in the back of the class are whispering about him. And he only ever cried in front of his mother because he didn't want others to see. But now, he was crying again, because of Dorumon. "Thank you… Dorumon."

"Die!" Musyamon yelled as he drew the blade back at the same time Yuki punched in the sequence.

"D-Max Online! Charged Up Evolution!"


	4. Everything We Are

**It took me forever to figure out which prompt to use for this chapter. Anyway, it's time to introduce Dorumon's evolution! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the prompt is 'changeable'. Don't forget to drop a review down below and enjoy!**

-X-

**May 10: Hayashi Residence – 8:13 PM**

"_A small child has been going around Shinjuku Park, vandalizing property and pulling pranks on people. If anyone knows…_"

Kintarou flinched at the door slam. From his periphery, he watched his father enter the room, looking as tough as he always did in his police uniform. His father picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

"Have you finished your homework?" he asked gruffly.

Kintarou nodded, adjusting his glasses. "A while ago, so I thought that a little television wouldn't hurt."

His father shook his head, as he always did when something displeased him. Kintarou would be lying if he said that it didn't make him feel bad. "You should stay focused on your education. Television is just a way to rot your brain."

"Yes sir…," Kintarou said obediently.

This is always the routine in this household, especially after Kintarou's mother died. Ever since then, his father wouldn't even smile anymore. And he only wants Kintarou to do exactly as he says and not to, as he put it, 'become a useless leech'.

Kintarou wondered if he was going to be kicked out of the house when he was old enough and if he was only there as a reminder of mother. After all, it's not like they even have any other photos of the woman left in the house. They were all lost in the fire.

"Have you thought about which high school you want to go to?" his father asked as he sat down on the couch to unwind.

Kintarou almost blurted out Yagami High but he quickly snapped his mouth shut because this was not the answer that his father wanted to hear. "I don't have to think about entrance exams until next year. Besides, it's still the beginning of_ this_ school year," Kintarou replied, hoping it would suffice.

"Don't avoid the question."

The blond pursed his lips. "I guess, I thought about going on to the attachment high school, Mirai Academy."

"Good," his father nodded. "But be sure to know by next year. Thinking isn't good enough."

Kintarou nodded. "Yes sir…" He stood up and moved towards his room. "Excuse me, father."

The teenager quickly closed the door behind him as he heaved a sigh of relief. He waited a few seconds to make sure that his father wasn't going to check on him.

Once he was certain that he would be left alone for the rest of the evening, he moved over to the hand mirror that had belonged to his mother. He's not sure why he had kept it, he just knows that every time he looks into it, he can see his mother. Her cool gray eyes, her small nose, her pink mouth; it comforted him. He even ended up dying his hair from brown to blonde just to see more of her face, though it never did look natural enough.

Kintarou placed the mirror back onto the desk and sat down on his bed. Not for the first time in his life, he wished he had some control over his life.

**May 11: Shinjuku Park – 4:39 PM**

Kintarou didn't know why he came here, but he did. The last time he was here, his mother had brought him to play with Takeshi.

"That was a long time ago," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"Oi," a voice groaned from the foliage above. "You're talking to yourself in a park so you're either a weirdo or just super lonely… Or a super lonely weirdo."

Kintarou looked upward and a smiling, pale face greeted him at extreme close range, causing him to flinch back. The human wasn't scared though which was probably the intent of the child – correction – creature. This was probably the park prankster the news had been talking about recently.

"You're a… Digimon," Kintarou realized.

"You're not the first living thing to know this," said the Digimon. He jumped down from the branch and landed in front of the human, showing that he didn't even reach the blonde's knee in terms of height. "But, you _are_ the first human not to run away from me."

"Well, everyone knows about Digimon now and I guess I'm just used to seeing them around," Kintarou shrugged. "It's probably because I go to school with a Chosen."

Even though the small Digimon's eyes were covered by a hood, Kintarou could still see them widening. "A Chosen? Now there's a big surprise! I've always wanted to meet one of them humans with a digital partner!"

Kintarou shrugged. "I don't think it's anything special. By the way… Who are you?"

"I'm a Digimon."

"Not what, who."

"Me?" the Digimon snickered. "I'm Dracmon! The Digital World's most infamous prankster and most talented graffiti artist!" He spun a spray can in his hand for emphasis. "And now I'm trying to branch out to two worlds."

"Why?" Kintarou frowned.

"Why?" Dracmon repeated with a laugh. "Because it's fun! Because it's enjoyable!" He jumped on top of a trash bin and sprayed an image of his own smiling visage onto it. "Because it's part, if not everything, that I am. What other reason does there have to be?"

"Everything… that you are?" said Kintarou.

"But enough about me. What about you? Who are you, kid?"

"I'm Hayashi Kintarou," he answered.

Dracmon nodded and waited patiently for the human to say more, it was only after ten seconds of silence did he realize that was it. Kintarou had nothing more to say about himself, about who he is. He was nothing more than he thought he was anyway.

"What, that's it?" Dracmon guffawed. "Come on kid! Tell me about yourself! Who is…," he paused for dramatic effect. "Kintarou?"

Kintarou didn't quite understand the question. "I'm just a student, nothing really special."

"Don't lie to me kid," the vampire scoffed. The pupils on his hood actually rolled as if the eyes on the fabric were the real things. "Everyone's got a shtick! Some people are exactly who they are from their name but I like to think of those people as lame-os. Real people, real living creatures, have something that keeps them going. It keeps the fire in their heart raging!" He sat down on the trash bin and looked Kintarou in the eye. "So let's try this again, who is Kintarou?"

"I'm…," Kintarou trailed off. "I guess I don't really know." He chuckled humorlessly and ran a hand through his dyed locks. "Maybe I'm one of those 'lame-os'."

Dracmon shook his head. "It's like I said, you can tell just from looking at them or hearing them say their name, those are the lame-os. But you… I can tell that Kintarou is someone bigger than you say. But then again, most people don't know who they are because they need someone else to point it out to them."

Kintarou nodded in understanding. It's like how people can't see their own good points but they notice all of their flaws. And despite being unable to see their positive sides, they notice it in others. The butterfly wing phenomenon, no one but others can see how pretty they are. So those others have to be a mirror for you.

"I get the highest grades in my class and I still can't figure it out," Kintarou sighed.

"Hey, no worries kid," Dracmon grinned. "_I'll_ be your mirror!" Kintarou was surprised that this was the metaphor Dracmon decided to use. "Tell you what, come back here every day at this time and I'll see if I can figure you out."

"What if I don't like what's reflected?"

A small shrug was received from the Digimon. "Then change yourself for the better. Who you are isn't always set in stone and people always say to love yourself for who you are. But sometimes, that's being dishonest. You have to love yourself, yes, but sometimes, you know that it's impossible without change. Everything is changeable."

Kintarou pondered this, flashing back to conversations he had with his mother before she vanished from his life. She had always told him to embrace his own flaws and love himself for who he is and he believed her. Everyone believes in that or at least should. But now, here was someone telling him that's _not_ how it should be, or at least, not for everybody in the universe. Everything is changeable in one way or another. But can a change be too much?

"Okay," he nodded. "I'll give it a try."

"Good… So, tell me about yourself."

**May 11: Mirai Junior High – 3:15 PM**

Kintarou huffed, annoyed at the thought of spending time in the student council room. Maybe he shouldn't have been so ambitious as to be the vice president of the student body even if it did please his father. He was just worried that he wouldn't be able to see Dracmon in time and he hadn't told the Digimon that he might miss their meeting.

Not for the first time since meeting the creature, he wondered if he should tell somebody about the guy. After all, it would be best to at least keep him from being a public disturbance, especially since his father is going to be patrolling the park.

Maybe he could talk to Noriko about this; she would know what to do. Yes, he should.

But of course, when he arrived at her classroom, she was rushing out of it. He looked inside and saw Takeshi with an egg, talking animatedly with Yuki about becoming a Chosen Child once the egg hatched. And for a brief moment, Kintarou pictured himself as one of the Chosen, partnered to none other than that Dracmon from the park.

His knuckles turned white around his bag strap at the thought of Takeshi becoming a Chosen himself. And he knew exactly why.

**May 11: Shinjuku Park – 5:58 PM**

"Dracmon!" Kintarou called once he had caught his breath.

Dracmon immediately popped up in front of him, causing him to flinch just like yesterday. "Geez, and here I thought you were gonna to be a no show kid," he snickered. At least the Digimon didn't seem irritated by the late entrance. "What kept you? A lover?"

Kintarou almost laughed. Even if he was interested in dating anyone, his father would probably get rid of them as soon as he found out. And he found out about everything.

"No," he shook his head. "I'm the vice president at school and we had a student council meeting today. Sorry about being late."

"Eh, don't sweat it." Dracmon dropped to the ground so that he didn't have to talk while hanging upside down from a tree branch. "So, what's on your mind tonight? I can tell from your expression that you've been in deep thought about something. And when boys think, it's never good."

"That's not completely true."

"Yeah, but it usually is. Why do you think wives are the ones with the power in sitcoms?"

"There's television in the Digital World?"

"Nope!" Dracmon laughed. "But I've been here long enough to know stuff. Not to mention, I was friends with a Gomamon who's supposedly partnered to a human and he told me all this stuff about the human world. So… I know plenty about your world at this point." He added as an afterthought. "Oh, and there_ are_ television sets in the Digital World, but those are just used to get from the Digital World to here."

"Television sets are your mode of transport?"

"Not usually, just for inter-dimensional travel."

Kintarou couldn't help laughing. "Anyway… Back to your original question, I was just thinking about what it would be like if we were partners as Chosen and partner." He laughed dully. "I'd probably make a horrible one since I don't even know who I am."

"I don't think so," Dracmon shook his head. "That Gomamon friend I told you about, he's told me some interesting stories about how none of the original Chosen really knew who they were until after their journey. If anyone asked, they would've probably had given the same lackluster answer as you had."

"Just their names?"

"Yup," Dracmon laughed. "And besides, I already have some idea of who you are after talking so much yesterday."

The boy was curious to say the least. "Really? Who am I then?"

"Kintarou Hayashi," Dracmon chuckled. "You were definitely tough to figure out. You are determined and dedicated but you're also very lost right now. You've become a follower because you let the people around you dictate the way you live and the way you think."

Was this true? Kintarou mulled it over for a bit.

He knew that his father dictated how he should live his life and he allows the man to do that, but he didn't think others did that too. No, it's actually true.

Kintarou never admitted it to anyone, but he was jealous of people like Takeshi and Yuki which was probably why he was always so bitter towards them. The two of them are never afraid to be themselves and they never let anyone take control of their lives like he does. And they always seem happy no matter what happens. They make living life seem almost easy when everyone else is struggling. It made Kintarou treat them as if they were below him just to make himself feel better.

"I guess so," he muttered. He wiped a hand over his face. "I can't believe I never realized it myself."

"You're not supposed to. And most people can't even accept truths like you just did. You're pretty strong for a human, you know," Dracmon grinned.

"I wouldn't agree with that," Kintarou chuckled. "Strong?"

Dracmon nodded. "Sure you are, but then again, it's hard to believe some things you hear from someone you just met."

"No, I believe that _you _think so," Kintarou clarified. "I just don't think so myself."

The pair continued to talk about Kintarou's life for the next half hour before the human realized that it was already getting late. His dad was going to have a fit and he hadn't even started on his homework. It seemed like it was going to be another all-nighter for him.

As Kintarou was picking up his bag, a sudden realization occurred to him that he was surprised never did until now. Maybe he was the type of person who was really slow at figuring things out. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but he knew that it was a part of who he was.

"Hey…," he said. "I realized, we don't talk about you much."

"That's because I know everything that I am" Dracmon replied.

"Yeah, but I don't. Telling me that you're a vandal and criminal under Japan law doesn't tell me much about who you are," Kintarou gave him a small smile. "So, before I go, just tell me one thing about yourself."

Dracmon looked up at the boy. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"How about, the reason why you showed up here?" asked Kintarou. "I never got around to asking."

Dracmon chuckled, as if the memory was funny. "Let's just say I was chasing an old friend of mine." He picked himself up. "A dragon with a red cape and goggles. A bit of a weirdo with his sense of justice and serious nature, but not such a bad guy once you get to know him." Dracmon gave the human a pointed look. "Actually, you kind of remind me of him."

"A weirdo with a sense of justice and serious nature? Well, I can agree on that last part but..."

"No!" Dracmon brushed off swiftly. "I'm saying, unlikable at first glance, but really cool once you get to know him."

There was a short pause from Kintarou. "Was that a backhanded compliment?"

"Just thank me."

"I'm kidding… Thanks… Really."

"No problem, kiddo!"

**May 15: Hayashi Residence – 6:24 PM**

The last few days of meeting with Dracmon had been great. Kintarou had never felt less pressured to do anything or less stressed about the chaos in his life. He wondered if this was how it was for the other Chosen Children as well when they spent time with their partners.

But today, Dracmon wasn't at the park. There were no signs of vandalism or scared park goers either. Kintarou wondered if Dracmon had been caught by the police and was now being detained or shipped off to RED to be sent back.

Kintarou hoped not. He had grown fond of the vampire Digimon. He even tried to take Dracmon home with him where it might've been safer than being out in the open where he could get caught. But the little guy refused, saying how he preferred the fresh air of the park over being inside the stuffy confines of a house. The teenager understood this sentiment since he too, was much more comfortable outdoors than inside this stifling environment.

Kintarou's mind wandered to the awful events of today. First, his father decided to give Kintarou a not-so-subtle hint of wanting him to get a job. Then, Takeshi started gloating about his partner, Huckmon, which Kintarou had yet to see with his own eyes. After that, he realized that he had forgotten his English assignment at home. Finally, Dracmon goes missing.

He started pacing the room and nibbling on the inside of his thumb as he always did when he was feeling anxious. "Where is he?"

**May 17: Downtown Shinjuku - 4:16 PM**

"Yuki?" Takeshi gasped. He jerked his head around in a slight moment of hysteria. "Where did he go?!"

"I…," Noriko felt as worried as Takeshi looked. "I have no idea." She turned back to their partners. "But let's deal with those guys first."

"R-Right," Takeshi nodded.

Buraimon hovered just above the ground as the two shinobi Digimon he was fighting created doppelgangers of themselves so he was now face to face with a total of ten foes rather than two. He held his blades up to keep his sides covered as his eyes narrowed on the two clones in front of them, as if daring them to strike.

The second that the ten of them lunged forward, Noriko punched in the speed boost sequence. The next thing to happen was just a clangor as Buraimon's two swords were used to defend his body from every slash made at him and every ninja star thrown at him. It was clear that Ninjamon and Kogamon weren't prepared for such superior speed as their clones vanished one by one until it was just the real ones that were left.

"Swallow Duet Reverse!" Buraimon made a swift slashing movement, slicing both of his foes in half and converting them to masses of data.

"Excellent job!" Noriko praised as she turned the data back into egg form.

Buraimon nodded as he sheathed his swords. "I just hope Shuu knows how to extract the Shadow Serum."

BaoHuckmon wasn't nearly as quick on his feet as his companion but his scales were hard enough to prevent him from taking too much damage from the two that he was fighting. He was also able to keep them on their toes as he charged straight for them, giving them no time to defend and only evade to the best of their ability.

"Ninja Knife Throwing!"

Takeshi's trained eye for watching baseball pitches came useful for moments like this. He carefully observed the two shinobi Digimon as they drew out their projectiles and the direct millisecond they let go, he activated the defense boost code which made a force field appear around his partner. BaoHuckmon used the shield to his advantage as he charged forward, the weapons bouncing away and soon, it was too late for Ninjamon and Kogamon to get out of his way.

"Fif Cross!" BaoHuckmon's claws came crashing down, slicing his opponents into three even pieces and dispersing their data.

Takeshi used the D-Max to revert them to egg form before they got too far away. "That was one of our easier fights," he mused.

BaoHuckmon nodded in agreement. "Now I just hope Yuki's okay."

**May 17: Shinjuku Park – 4:25 PM**

Kintarou saw him, the Digimon that Takeshi claimed to be his partner. It was Huckmon, the dragon with the red cape and goggles, as Dracmon had described. But before Kintarou had the chance of turning around and questioning the dragon, Takeshi ran off along with his partner and Noriko. It was probably something Digimon-related no doubt.

"Dracmon!" he called, hoping to get a response.

"You called?" the vampire replied immediately, popping in as he always did.

Kintarou exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Yup, he's definitely one of those slow people. "I thought you got bored of me."

"You make me sound like your lover," Dracmon snickered. "And it's possible that I did but came back because I realized it was a mistake. It's like I said, everyone's minds are fickle, everything is changeable, and nothing is forever."

"No matter how much we'd like it to be?"

"Well… If our convictions are strong enough then maybe some things wouldn't be changeable."

Kintarou shook his head. "So, what happened over the last two days then? Why did you just vanish the way you did?"

For the first time since Kintarou met the dark-attributed Digimon, his smile dropped off his face as he became serious. Just like all of their meetings, Dracmon jumped down from the tree branch and landed on his feet, but unlike all those other times, he was starting things off on a non-joking note.

"Some madman human digi-napped me and he sent his goons after me," Dracmon told him. "I was able to escape his laboratory with some help from the other prisoners or 'experiments' as that human called them. That was this morning…"

The blonde was immensely concerned now. This was worse than if the police had caught him. At least with the alternative, Dracmon would've just been sent back to his home. "Are you okay?" inquired Kintarou. "The human didn't perform weird experiments on you, did he?"

"Nah, I got out before that. But that's not important…" Dracmon's eyes were drawn to the top of a building nearby. "Right now, those Chosen kids need help. And I think we're the only ones able to do that."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Just trust me… Do you?"

Kintarou didn't even hesitate with his answer. "I trust you." He went down on one knee so that he was around the same height as Dracmon and took his outstretched hand in his. He wasn't in the least bit freaked out by the eye in the palm, and just shook it firmly.

Dracmon's grin returned just as an azure light descended in between them. "Good."

**May 17: Building Rooftop - 4:21 PM**

"Die!" Musyamon yelled as he drew the blade back at the same time Yuki punched in the sequence.

"D-Max Online! Charged Up Evolution!"

"Dorumon Digivolve to…" The beast Digimon's tiny wings grew much larger until they were as big as the rest of his body which was also expanding. His fur became darker as his eyes became animalistic, practically wild. Another significant change was the claws that grew out from the beast's paws and feet, they looked sharp enough to cut through solid rock. "Dorugamon!"

**Digital Analyzer: **Dorugamon is a ferocious Digimon that possesses the disposition of both a dragon and a beast. He is such a heavyweight fighter that most Digimon flee from the very sight of his shadow. Although they exude the ferocity exhibited in a wild beast, they display the intelligence of a dragon and are usually docile. It is believed that Dorugamon is a "prototype Digimon" created on the basis of the perfect mash-up between Greymon and Garurumon.

Musyamon's sword clashed with Dorugamon's claws.

"You digivolved?!" the samurai blanched.

Dorugamon smirked. "I'm as surprised as you are."

They separated and stared each other down from a few paces away.

"Now I really wish I paid attention when Koushiro was going over codes…," Yuki muttered. Dorugamon may be strong but he was still technically a newborn so there was no way he would be able to take down an experienced warrior without some sort of handicap.

"Don't worry Papa," said Dorugamon. "I can handle this."

"R… Right," Yuki nodded unconvincingly.

The dragon-beast hybrid opened his mouth and an iron sphere formed inside of it. "Power Metal!" The attack was cannoned out and unless you were capable of blocking them with your stomach, you'd be in big trouble.

Yuki expected Musyamon to dodge such a sluggish attack but he stood his ground instead.

"Ninja Blade!" Musyamon's katana became enveloped with white hot flames as he cut the iron ball in half. Yuki's and Dorugamon's eyes bugged out of their skulls when they witnessed it. The ball split in half and exploded on either side of the warrior. "Pathetic," he spat.

Dorugamon growled in frustration as he charged forward, trying to catch the samurai off guard with his sharp claws but he only succeeded in swiping at thin air as Musyamon jumped out of the way, over his head. As soon as the samurai landed on his feet, he started rushing towards Yuki, clearly intent on yanking the D-Max right off the boy's wrist, along with the arm if he had to.

"Papa!" Dorugamon shouted at the same time his partner screamed. "Cannonball!"

Musyamon came to a sudden halt as flames engulfed his blade again. "Ninja Sword!" He cut the second ball in half. In those few seconds it took for him to block the attack, Yuki had run past the armor-clad Digimon and stood next to Dorugamon.

"Okay, it's clearly too risky to leave you alone," Dorugamon muttered.

"No kidding," Yuki shuddered. "I'd hate to think what could've happened."

"Well don't, let's focus on beating this guy," said the dragon-beast.

"Yeah..."

Musyamon turned to glare at the pair, not that he wasn't doing so before, since the beginning. "The two of you are really testing my patience. I suppose I will just have to cut you up and feed you to the pavement below."

"Is that your _nice_ way of saying you're going throw us off the building?" Yuki gaped.

Musyamon didn't answer with words; he let his flaming sword do it for him. "Shogun Sword!"

A ghost-like dragon was approaching the pair fast and Dorugamon jumped, trying to grab Yuki and pull the boy out of harm's way, but the blaze was too swift for him. Yuki honestly believed that it would be the end for them when a blur of fur swept past, nabbing them both in its sharp teeth and yanking them out of the flame's range. When the initial panic settled, Yuki opened his eyes to find that he was being held in the sharp fangs of some wolf Digimon.

"What the…?" Yuki blinked.

Kintarou's stern visage greeted him from the wolf's back. "Are you okay, Ueda?"

"Kintarou?" Yuki was dropped down and back into Dorugamon's awaiting arms. "Wait… Don't tell me that you're a Chosen too!"

Kintarou dismounted from the wolf and shrugged. "I would assume so, at least that's what I assume this device is supposed to mean." Kintarou raised his arm to show the azure D-Max that was attached to his wrist. He then gestured over to his partner. "This is Drac, no… I mean, this is Sangloupmon."

"Nice to meet you, kid," Sangloupmon greeted.

Yuki examined the wolf carefully. He had bat wing-like structures covering his eyes and on the back of his neck that covered like a collar. Sharp fangs protruded in both upwards and downwards directions and there were two rings pierced into his left ear. And while Dorugamon's claws are sharp, this Digimon's were literally knives and he wore razor cuffs on both his hind and front legs, clearly, you do not want to shake this dog's paw.

**Digital Analyzer: **Sangloupmon is a Demon Beast Digimon and a noble bloodsucking wolf. It is said that Sangloupmon is one of the oldest species of Digimon, dating back to the origin of the Digital World. They are capable of breaking down their data into packets so they can travel instantaneously to their desired destination in the Digital World.

"Not what I would've expected your partner to be," Yuki mused before glancing over to the older boy with a suspicious expression. "Unless you really _are_ a vampire or a werewolf."

Kintarou resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm not a _Twilight _character."

"Um…," Dorugamon uttered. "Shouldn't we be focused on the task at hand?"

"Right," both boys nodded.

A sudden thought struck Yuki. "Wait, Kintarou, how did you know how to evolve your partner?"

"Hm?" Kintarou blinked. "I was in the computer room, working on a project when I overheard Kawada and Izumi talking about the codes on the digivices. I don't really remember anything else though, so don't ask me about which codes do what."

Yuki deflated instantly. "Oh… Still, we have two Digimon with us. We should be able to win."

"It doesn't matter if there are a hundred of you!" Musyamon barked. "I shall not leave without a digivice for my master!"

"Not on my watch!" Sangloupmon leapt into the air and started spinning wildly, throwing thousands of knives right at the samurai. "Sticker Blade!"

Musyamon blocked every single projectile with his sword with ease and the ones he didn't deflect, his armor kept him from getting penetrated by the attack. While this was happening, Dorugamon was charging up for a more powerful Cannonball attack.

"Cannonball!"

"Ninja Blade!"

"That is one tough weapon" Kintarou remarked as he watched the iron sphere split into two and explode.

"We need to get rid of it," Yuki agreed. "But Dorugamon isn't fast enough to keep up with him."

Kintarou looked up to this partner. "Think you got this?"

Sangloupmon nodded as he landed back on the floor. "Black Mind!" His data broke down into packets and soon, he was just small bits of data, like dust in the air. The packets of data shot forward and passed through Musyamon's blade without any bodily harm since, he didn't have a body anymore, and he blended into Musyamon's shadow.

"Where did he go?" Musyamon growled. He gave up two seconds after searching and turned back to Dorugamon. "No matter, I shall just dispose of you first. Shogun –!"

Before the flames took on the form of a dragon, Sangloupmon pounced out of his shadow and used the knives on his front paws to knock the weapon out of the samurai's hands which fell to the ground with a clatter. In the next moment, Sangloumon jumped back to Kintarou's side at the same time Dorugamon finished up charging up for his strongest attack.

"Cannonball!"

This time, without a weapon to protect himself or time to evade, the samurai took the attack in the stomach which made an unappealing crunching sound when it made contact. The samurai flew off the building and struck the wall of the concrete complex in front of them. His data flickered in and out of destruction as he twitched uncontrollably.

Yuki shivered at the sight when Musyamon burst into bits of data and the cannonball fell down to the pavement. "It's over…?"

"I think so…," Kintarou nodded.

The two of them saw Buraimon flying towards the packets of data, holding Noriko in his arms and she pointed at the data with her D-Max and made it return to egg form which she caught safely in her arms. At the same time, a blur of red swept past them as Takeshi and BaoHuckmon suddenly joined them on the building rooftop.

Takeshi had intended on running straight to his kohai to make sure that the pink-haired boy was okay but as soon as his eyes landed on Kintarou, he completely forgot about it. "You! Wait! What are you…? You're a Chosen Child too?!"

"Nice to see you too," Kintarou droned.

Noriko landed nearby and ran over to them, stopping short when she saw the two Adult Digimon. "Wow! So you two are part of the new generation of Chosen?" she smiled before walking over to Sangloupmon. "It's great to meet you, I'm Noriko."

Sangloupmon grinned and degenerated, causing all the newcomers' jaws drop. "Nice to see you again, sweet cheeks! I hope we work well together!"

"No," BaoHuckmon shook his head. "No, I don't care about being a Royal Knight anymore; I do not want to work with Dracmon."

Dracmon pouted. "Aw, am I not good enough?"

Kintarou huffed in exasperation, putting two fingers to his temple for the oncoming migraine. "What is even happening right now?"

**May 17: Digi-Base - 6:03 PM**

Kintarou and Yuki were both taken to be debriefed and told all about their mission to rescue the other Chosen trapped in the Dark Ocean. They both had to come back with permission from their parents though. According to Koushiro, he can't have the two of them doing this dangerous quest if their guardians did not approve.

It makes sense but Kintarou was not looking forward to asking his father about running around Tokyo, fighting rogue digital monsters with a bloodthirsty canine by his side. Not to mention, his father was one of those people who believed it would be better to destroy all Digimon rather than learning to coexist with them. If anything, his father was just as bad, or worse, than this Viktor Zeiger guy who wants the same thing.

"I think your father can change too," Dracmon commented. He was doing some sort of balancing act on the computers while Kintarou sat in the swivel chair, trying to think about how best to broach this subject with his father.

Kintarou nodded without much conviction. "I'm sure everyone is capable of change. But it's not easy."

"Oh yeah, that's for sure," Dracmon chuckled. "But it's possible."

"True… Nowadays, it feels like nothing is impossible," Kintarou sighed.

Dracmon stopped his tightrope act and sat down on the keyboard, making sure that his butt wasn't actually on any of the keys so he was still doing a balancing act on the edge. "Almost nothing is set in stone. As a matter of fact, just today, I realized that I don't have myself completely figured out as I originally thought."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I always put myself on a pedestal and personally believed that I wouldn't care about how others felt about me or what would happen to me in life."

"And?"

"When I was caught by Dr. Zeiger…" Dracmon wasn't sure how to finish his statement though he didn't have to.

"You wanted to live," Kintarou finished for him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And also, until I became a partnered Digimon, I liked being a nuisance to everyone because it shows that I'm on their mind. And I knew that if I was gone, they'd miss my infamous antics. But I realized that no one is going to think of me and cry, they'd just smile fondly at a memory. And with you… I want you to think good thoughts about me."

"You want me to cry?"

"You know what I mean!"

Kintarou laughed a real, full laugh. "Yeah, I know what you mean. To tell the truth, I feel the exact same way about you."

Dracmon's trademark grin returned to his face as his pale skin turned red with embarrassment. "Gah! You're getting me all flustered with all of this mushy talk! Come on! I'm a cold-blooded vampire! I shouldn't be getting like this."

"We're always figuring ourselves out, no matter how old we get," Kintarou chuckled.

From across the room, Yuki had finally put Dorumon to sleep so he stood up and walked over to Kintarou. The older boy turned his attention away from his partner to look over at his underclassman, waiting patiently for the conversation to come.

"Um… Kintarou… I," Yuki stuttered before bowing. "I wanted to thank you for saving me today. If it weren't for you…"

"It's fine," said Kintarou. "But… I do have a question for you."

"Eh? What is it?"

"How is it so easy for you to be you? Aren't you afraid of disapproval or people looking down on you for who you are?"

Yuki didn't even hesitate with his reply. "Well, it's not easy, first of all. And second, it's my own personal belief that people can change for the better because we are all inherently good. Things like discrimination will always exist but it will one day shrink to such a miniscule scale that it'll be passed off for nothing at all. Maybe people won't change right away, but we will. And I'm willing to wait a thousand years that. But until then, I'd prefer to be me than someone I'm not."

"You really think people can change?"

"Sure," Yuki shrugged. "I mean, just a second ago, you said 'who you are'. But a month ago, you would've said 'your decision'."

Kintarou's jaw remained suspended in air for a few seconds and when he closed it, he almost burst out laughing because it was true. Was it possible that he was starting to open up about himself that caused this change? He couldn't know for sure but he was glad for it. And he was especially glad to have met Dracmon when he did.

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

Change is a scary thing. But everything is bound to change. Hopefully, it'll be for the better.


	5. Dysfunctional Team

**It is new chapter time and this time around, the prompt I will be using is 'friction'. Let's find out who our fifth Chosen Child is, shall we? Here's a hint: redhead. Now, I hope you enjoy this chapter and do not forget to drop a review in the box down below.**

-X-

**May 19: Abandoned Warehouse – 7:34 PM**

"Ow!"

The sound of Takeshi and Kintarou bashing skulls resounded through the abandoned warehouse and they could hear the amused cackling of their target from around the corner. The two boys glared at each other as they stood up and inputted the speed boost code into their D-Maxes at the same time. Both BaoHuckmon and Sangloupmon leaped out and crashed into each other in midair, causing the pair to fall onto their partners in a tangled mess.

"What were you doing?" BaoHuckmon snarled at the wolf Digimon. "Why did you run out?"

"Me?!" Sangloupmon gaped. "You're the one with the fluttering cape that got caught in my line of vision!"

Kintarou pushed himself out from under his partner and rubbed his forehead, realizing that there were circular imprints on it. He shot a nasty look at the other human. "Hey, goggle-head, you left a goggle-shaped imprint on my forehead!"

"Good, it's …," Takeshi grunted as he picked himself up. "...an improvement."

From on the other side of the warehouse, their target was trying to flee out of the forsaken building but Yuki jumped out in front of him. Dorugamon shot an iron sphere at the small creature but it flew up to avoid it.

"Papa! Give me a speed boost!" Dorugamon yelled.

"Right!" Yuki nodded before staring at his digivice with a blank expression. "Now… Which one was that again?"

When their flying enemy laughed at Yuki's cluelessness, Dorugamon glared at him. So, despite not receiving any kind of boost from his partner, he charged up for a cannonball at the same time Yuki punched in a code.

"Cannonball!"

Yuki had used the defense code so a barrier appeared around Dorugamon which caused the iron ball to be reflected and smashed right into Dorugamon's face. Yuki yelped with concern as he ran to his now-degenerated partner on the floor.

"Dorumon! Are you okay?"

"Now I know how my own attack feels like…," Dorumon groaned, dazed.

Their foe continued laughing and only narrowly avoided a slice from a hidden Buraimon. The bird samurai was using Noriko's stealth code to be invisible but after their enemy heard the sound of a metallic blade whizzing precariously close to his ear, he started flying as quickly as he could towards the exit.

"Time for the speed boost!" said Noriko as she punched in the code.

Kintarou was unaware of this plan as he and the others arrived on the scene. So the bespectacled boy punched in the power code which increased Sangloupmon's attack power.

"Sticker Blade!"

The knives hit something invisible before ever reaching their adversary. The invisible obstruction turned out to be a very pissed off Buraimon considering the projectiles all cut through his right wing, rendering him unable to fly.

"Sorry…," Kintarou winced.

Takeshi pushed Kintarou out of the way and ran out of the warehouse where he found their foe high in the air. "It's time for a real hero to handle this job!" BaoHuckmon joined his side, prepared to launch an attack. "Here we…!"

Yuki jumped out and tackled Takeshi. "Senpai! Dorumon won't wake up!"

"Wah!" Takeshi tipped over and the two humans landed on top of BaoHuckmon, causing even more raucous laughter from the creature. The others that were capable of moving ran out of the warehouse as well and unfortunately, they all tripped over the fallen trio. Buraimon sighed in disappointment from inside while Dorumon was starting to stir.

"This is embarrassing…," Takeshi muttered.

"Sorry…," said Yuki sheepishly.

Noriko's head shot up when the cackling started to quiet down. "The target's getting away!"

The enemy, a small, rather ugly, demon creature that went by the name of Vilemon, was laughing, pointing a finger at the mess of Chosen Children while slowly drifting away backwards. But as the group untangled themselves, a large shadow was casted over them and their eyes were drawn back to the sky where Kabuterimon was buzzing in front of the sun. Vilemon didn't notice the gargantuan insect until his back bumped into Kabuterimon's leg.

Vilemon slowly turned around and when his eyes feasted upon the behemoth, he screamed.

"Electro Shocker!"

A huge explosion as Noriko quickly used her D-Max to revert the raining data into an egg which fell into the arms of a familiar, very angry Chosen Child. They all slowly looked in every other direction just to avoid looking at Koushiro's eyes. He looked enraged, but they knew he was going to play the disappointment card which was far worse in their opinion.

Koushiro exhaled in exasperation. "What do you guys think you were doing?"

The high school student waited for the group to be standing in front of him, lined up, as if they were going to get a rundown of individual reprimands. But as soon as that question left Koushiro's mouth, all four of them started coming up with excuses or putting the blame on someone else.

"Kintarou messed up twice on this mission," Takeshi accused.

"Me? Yuki caused damage to his own partner," Kintarou shot back.

"Well at least I didn't attack someone else's partner," Yuki spat.

Noriko was the only one not playing the blame game. "We tried our hardest but we're still getting used to working together. Maybe it would've been easier if just one or two of us had gone on this mission. I mean, none of us are used to being on a team like this."

"Still, one Vilemon isn't exactly a challenge, which makes this even more problematic," Koushiro sighed. "And besides, I sent all of you because I wanted to see if you could work together, which is why I'm here. Think about it, Vilemon is one of the weaker Adults, one Kabuterimon defeated without any help. But the four of you together just kept tripping over one another, what would've happened if you were up against a stronger opponent? One that would require you to work as a team in order to defeat."

The four of them were suddenly interested in their own shoes. "Sorry…"

"It's fine," Koushiro brushed off. "Just try to get along."

Huckmon cleared his throat to get their attention. "Out of curiosity, who sent Vilemon, Zeiger or Dagomon?"

"Neither," Koushiro replied. "This is just a rogue Digimon that found a portal to the human world and wanted to cause trouble, nothing more, kind of like Dracmon. So that's lucky for us." The child of Knowledge was about to turn away when he remembered something else. "One more thing, Shuu just sent back reports on the egg studies."

"And…?" Dracmon prodded.

"The Digimon sent by Dagomon aren't even technically real Digimon," Koushiro told them, causing them to stare back with the same question on their mind. "They're Deep Ones, creatures that reside within the Dark Ocean but they were given data of the Digimon they take the form of by their master. Or at least, that's my theory. When they turn into egg, the data of the Deep One is slowly disappearing until all that's left is the data of the Digimon they took the form of. Therefore, while they _are_ fakes, I still want you to continue turning them back into eggs after you delete them."

Hyokomon posed the other question. "And the ones sent by Zeiger? Is Shuu-dono able to remove the Shadow Serum?"

Koushiro nodded. "Yeah… He is. So any Digimon that wants a digivice, be sure to send those straight to RED so that the Serum can be removed. And as for the Digimon that are searching for me; be sure to send them back to the Digital World."

"Understood," they nodded.

The group was told to go back home and while they were at it, Koushiro thought about how they were going to defeat Dagomon if they couldn't even defeat a single Vilemon. He sighed. "Hopefully the fifth Chosen Child will balance things out."

**May 20: Mirai Junior High - 12:15 PM**

When the bell rang for lunch, Yuki stood up to leave the classroom so that he could see Dorumon. Many students were uncomfortable with sharing the same space with a monster so the Chosen Children were asked to leave their partners on the rooftop. It was a good thing his mother didn't mind having Dorumon around and even Kintarou got permission from his father so long as Dracmon isn't seen anywhere in the house or pulling any more public pranks.

As soon as Yuki slid the door open, he bumped into someone from another class. "Oh, sorry!"

"No, it's okay, it was my fault," the other person replied. She was a very pretty girl with long wavy red hair and shimmering pale blue eyes. Yuki recognized her to be the new transfer student that moved in from Hokkaido. "You're… Ueda Yuki, right?"

"Yeah… How did you know?" Yuki asked.

The girl giggled. "Oh, some girls in my class told me not to get a crush on you because you don't like girls in that way."

"Ah," Yuki nodded. Typical, it was one of the first things for people to know about him. "Aren't you in class 1-B, what are you doing here?"

"To be honest, I wanted to meet you," she smiled. "I've never known a guy like you, or at least not that I know of." She suddenly clasped both of his hands in her own. "I just want to tell you how amazing and brave I think you are! It must be tough sometimes."

Yuki was genuinely surprised by this abrupt act but it felt nice to have a stranger care about him like this. "Thank you… And it is. Especially when I have gym, a lot of the other guys don't feel very comfortable changing around me."

"I totally understand."

"Um… Can you let go of my hands now?"

"Oh, sorry!" she pulled back. "I'm getting all personal with you and you don't even know my name! I'm Masami Fujimoto; it's very nice to meet you, Yuki-kun."

"It's nice to meet you too," Yuki nodded. "I hope you like Mirai Junior High."

Before Yuki had the chance to take his leave, Takeshi showed up. "Yuki, what are you still doing here? Dorumon is starting to miss you." The brunet paused when he saw Masami and he waved to her. "Oh, hi, I'm Takeshi Yamada, a friend of Yuki's."

Masami tilted her head to the side with a cute smile. "Nice to meet you! I'm Masami!" She then grabbed onto Yuki's arm. "I'm sorry, but I just need to borrow Yuki-kun for just a little longer." She ended up dragging Yuki away until they were out of the older boy's hearing range. "Is that a guy you have a crush on?"

Yuki blushed and he quickly shook his head. "W-What?! No, it's not like that!" He looked away from Masami. "Takeshi is just my senpai and the first person to become my friend when I came to this school. A lot of people didn't want to understand me but he actually got to know me for who I am rather than for what."

"Sounds like you do like him."

"No! I… I used to, but not anymore."

"Oh… Well, that's too bad," Masami's smile dropped, but then she moved closer to him to whisper in his ear. "Because if you asked me, I'd say he was keeping a little something from you, nothing bad, just something he hasn't fully come to terms with yet."

With that, Yuki watched the other girl walk away with a bounce in her step and a wave from behind.

**May 20: Odaiba Public Library – 5:42 PM**

Kintarou's head snapped up when a stack of books fell, causing a loud clatter and a bang because of one hardcover. Right after, everyone else turned their heads to shush the girl, which collectively, sounded much louder than the avalanche of books to Kintarou's ears.

"Sorry," the girl squeaked.

Kintarou sighed as he walked towards her to help out. "You should be a little more careful."

"I know; I'm just a little bit clumsy," she admitted.

Kintarou helped picked up all of her books and she thanked him. He moved back to his table and noticed that she had followed, and it was only at that point did he realize that she was wearing the Mirai Junior High uniform. He also recognized her to be the new transfer student.

"You're… Fujimoto, aren't you."

Masami nodded. "I'm sorry! This is going to sound really weird but it's just… You're really cute and you just helped me out back there when no one else would. It's embarrassing but it makes me think of you like some sort of prince charming." Her cheeks flushed and she turned away with embarrassment. "I can't believe I just said that out loud!"

Kintarou wasn't the least bit phased by this, mostly because it wasn't the first time a girl has said something like this to him. "Thank you… But I was just trying to be nice, don't think too much about it."

Just then, Dracmon, who had been asleep a while ago, was now awake and sitting on his partner's shoulder, poking the boy's cheek with one sharp finger and an amused grin. "Aw come on Kin-chan, I may not know the standards of beauty in the human world, but even _I_ can tell that this beautiful young lady is after you."

"Who told you to wake up right now?" Kintarou huffed. "And why did you call me 'Kin-chan'?"

"A Digimon…," Masami started before turning to Kintarou and examining his face with such intensity that Kintarou was actually considering running away. "Ah!" She clapped her hands together, causing another collective shushing sound from everyone. "You're Kintarou Hayashi, the vice president of the student body and one of those new Chosen Children!"

"…Yes," he nodded awkwardly.

"I also met Takeshi earlier today and…," Masami trailed off. "I shouldn't say…"

This piqued the older teenager's interest. "What can't you say?"

"I don't want you to be mad at Takeshi."

"What did he say?"

Masami gestured for the boy to get closer and she whispered the secret into his ear, which Dracmon also ended up hearing. The expression on the Digimon's face was that of great amusement and he looked about ready to burst out laughing. As for Kintarou, he ended up voicing out his disbelief and rage with a very loud exclamation of his emotions which caused the loudest collective shushing sound from the library crowd ever.

**May 21: Mirai Junior High – 12:34 PM**

Noriko paused outside the bathroom door when she thought she heard sobbing coming from inside. She slowly stepped inside where the sounds of crying became much more prominent and it always hurt Noriko whenever she heard tears because it would always remind her of the day BelialVamdemon entered their lives. Since then, the teenager could never stay out of another's emotional problems without wanting to be of some help in some way.

"Hello?" Noriko called out.

The crying stopped suddenly and one of the stall doors opened where a redheaded girl peeked out from. "I'm sorry… I'll go somewhere else."

"No," Noriko said quickly, pulling the younger girl out from the stall. "I'm not going to hurt you or anything; I want to help you if I am able." She pulled out the girl out which she recognized to be Masami, the transfer student, and wiped away Masami's tears with her handkerchief. "What's wrong? Is someone in your class bullying or teasing you or anything?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Masami shook her head, a faint smile gracing her features.

"Then why are you crying?" inquired Noriko.

Masami cleared away the rest of her tears which had been blurring her vision and her eyes widened when she was able to clearly see Noriko. "You're Kawada-senpai, aren't you? That new Chosen Child that Koushiro Izumi mentioned on the news?"

"Um… Well, yes. Are you a… fan?"

The younger girl laughed. "I guess you could say that. I certainly admire your strength and appreciate everything the past Chosen have done to save the world." She folded up the handkerchief and handed it back to Noriko. "I was just crying because of something stupid and petty, you don't need to worry about it."

"You can tell me. Maybe I can cheer you up."

Masami hesitated before speaking. "Well… You see, I met Kintarou Hayashi yesterday and we talked a lot, he even walked me home. I ended up getting a crush on him even though we had just met which is so dumb but I can't really control my feelings. But when I told him..."

"Yeah...?"

"He..,." Masami blurted out a torrent of things that Kintarou had said which was mostly about how much he claimed to hate girls like her. Overall, she painted a rather ugly picture of Kintarou that was a mixture of profanity and rudeness. "And that's what he said about me."

Noriko blinked a couple of times. "Are you sure? That doesn't sound like something Kintarou would say to anyone. Not even to Takeshi and I'm fairly certain the two despise each other and take every chance they get to insult each other."

"He…," Masami shifted a little to sit up straighter and lowered her tone to a whisper. "He also told me something else."

"...What did he tell you?"

**May 21: Digi-Base - 5:03 PM**

Koushiro had his chin resting on his hands as he stared at the four humans sitting in front of him with their respective partners by their side. Huckmon and Dorumon seemed perfectly normal, but the other two Digimon on the other hand, were acting a bit odd. Hyokomon was actively glaring daggers at Kintarou who didn't notice and Dracmon was trying so hard to muffle his laughter but he was convulsing so much from trying to hold it in that it was surprising there wasn't an earthquake going through Tokyo.

As for the humans, they were all sitting notably apart from each other.

"So… Did you all get into a fight with each other?" Koushiro inquired.

Tentomon hovered by Koushiro's head. "You can literally feel the friction between them."

"Oh no, we're all fine," Takeshi piped up, before shooting a brief nasty look at Kintarou. "We're all friends, except maybe someone here by the name of Kintarou."

"How subtle," Kintarou rolled his eyes. "But of course, that is to be expected of an uneducated, brainless monkey."

Yuki fidgeted in his seat, continuously making glances at Takeshi. "I…" He trailed off before turning red and burying his head into his knees. He swiveled around so that he wasn't facing any of them. "Never mind… Forget I even said anything!"

"You didn't… At least not really," Koushiro murmured under his breath.

"Hey… Um… Kintarou?" Noriko broached.

The younger student turned to face her. "What?" His grouchiness was showing.

"How do you feel about Yuki, really?" she asked.

"Huh?"

Yuki was interested in this too all of a sudden. "Where is this coming from?"

"...Never mind," Noriko shook her head.

Koushiro watched as the oldest and the youngest squirm uncomfortably while struggling to come up with something to say that they wouldn't take back. As for the two second-years, they were so busy throwing insults and yelling at each other that they probably wouldn't have realized if their teammates would say anything anyway.

Hyokomon was murmuring something that sounded like an ancient curse and Dracmon couldn't take it anymore so he just started laughing. The other two Digimon just watched the scene unfold with as much confusion as the original Chosen Child did.

Koushiro pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, counting to ten. "There is way too much friction in this team… Can they really save the others?" He exhaled sharply and called their attention to him, ignoring the still laughing Dracmon. "Clearly, none of you can work together properly. So I'm going to ask that each of you give me your D-Maxes."

They were stunned, as were the Digimon, except Dracmon. The vampire had calmed down at last, but he was clearly holding himself back.

"What?!"

"You can't do that!" Huckmon stated.

"Yeah!" his partner agreed.

"How will I be able to prove myself to be worthy of being a Royal Knight if I don't have this idiot to help me evolve?"

"Yeah! Wait, what?"

Koushiro shook his head. "I'll look for four others that will be able to take your spots because clearly, there's been some mistake. A Chosen Child would never think so low of their friends that they'd pay attention to random rumors about each other."

The group was struck silent, even Dracmon. The humans slowly sat back down in their seats as they mulled over what Koushiro had said. Dracmon couldn't take the silence anymore so he started snickering which caught their attention.

"This is not the time," Kintarou chided.

Dracmon held up a hand. "Come on, isn't it obvious that little Ms. Pretty Pants has been playing all of you?" This was met with confused stares all around. "I have a feeling that our innocent transfer student was spreading rumors to each of you about each other. It was like she wanted to make friction between you guys."

"The transfer student…?" Yuki blinked.

"You mean Masami Fujimoto?" inquired Noriko. "But why would she do that? There's no way that someone so nice would…"

Koushiro swiveled back around in his chair and searched up Masami on the Internet which popped up with a variety of results. He clicked on the first link and it brought him to a movie review site. "It would appear that Masami is the real name of an actress whose stage name was Aimi Fukui and she gave up acting a few years ago. She disappeared from the spotlight after her last movie."

"I heard of Aimi Fukui!" Takeshi gasped. "She was named a celebrity to look out for in that magazine that features child stars."

"Well, what is she doing here?" questioned Noriko.

Koushiro started tinkering with various, possible theories when an alarm blared, dousing the room in flashing red lights. He quickly closed out of the tab and started typing frantically on the keyboard which resulted in a map being pulled up on the screen.

"Looks like trouble in the northern quadrant." He turned back to them. "I don't know what Masami said about you guys but remember that you guys are a team. It's about time that you start acting like one. Do you hear me?"

The humans glanced at each other.

"Yeah, we hear you," Takeshi nodded.

"One more thing," said Koushiro as he pulled out a brief case. "These headsets came fresh from DATS, a government organization from another dimension. They'll let you communicate with each other out on the field and for me to keep tabs on you. Don't lose them."

"We won't," Noriko promised.

"And we won't let you down this time either," Yuki added before they took off.

Koushiro heaved a sigh as he glanced at his partner. "I hope so."

**May 21: Abandoned Warehouse - 5:34 PM**

"In the same exact spot as last time?" Kintarou frowned. "That doesn't seem right."

Takeshi clapped his hands together as if he had figured it out though the others were fairly certain that his theory was going to be off by a considerable margin. "Clearly, Koushiro is testing us because of how much we sucked last time. So he hired an actress to spread rumors to cause us to hate or at least doubt each other and then sent us here to see how we'd handle an actual battle while emotionally unhinged and at each other's throats."

This was met by silent stares of awe which were really starting to make Takeshi nervous.

Huckmon was the first to finally speak up. "Did you actually just say something that sounds like it would make sense considering the situation that we are currently in? Even more shocking, did you just analyze the situation in a non-bizarre way?"

"I suppose you're not a _complete_ uneducated primate," Kintarou muttered disdainfully.

Takeshi rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks guys."

"Come on, let's not waste time and find out what we're dealing with," Noriko huffed as she led them into the warehouse. As soon as they stepped inside, Yuki tripped over something and Hyokomon made a warning yelp. "Get down!" Noriko snapped.

Everyone ducked just as a swinging pendulum axe almost took their heads off their shoulders, wedging itself into the wall.

The humans stared at how close they had been to death as they slowly crawled out of the way before standing up and dusting themselves off. Yuki was probably the most shaken up of the group but when Takeshi tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, the younger boy just blushed and jumped to the side.

Takeshi stood there with a puzzled expression on his face and his hand awkwardly hovering in the air. Yuki turned away and his eyes darted around the vicinity, trying to find anything at all to keep his focus on, other than the others. Kintarou made some sort of scoffing noise that was a mix of discontent and disgust, causing Noriko to give him a stare that made all the Digimon, aside from Dracmon, uncomfortable.

Huckmon finally broke the silence. "Come on; let's take care of business."

"R-Right," Noriko nodded. "Everyone put on your headsets."

The humans did exactly that before the four of them split up, searching the empty wooden crates and dusty metallic beams for whatever danger there was. They were aware that something was here because there were traps set up all over the place that were definitely not there the last time.

"Okay, the silence is driving me crazy," Dracmon's voice echoed.

Takeshi exhaled loudly and pressed a button on the earpiece to speak to the others. "Dracmon's right, we won't be able to work together properly if we keep this up."

For a while, no one answered until Yuki pressed the speaker button as well.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" he asked. There was a slight tremor in his voice; he probably just narrowly avoided another precarious trap. "It's not like any of us can just forget the things Masami told us with a snap of a finger. She got inside our heads and caused so much friction between us with a bunch of stupid rumors, but…"

Noriko's voice soon joined the conversation as well. "But Takeshi is right… Does anyone have any suggestions?"

"We clear the air," Kintarou sighed. "If we just go out and say what's been bothering us, what Masami said about each of us; then we might be able to dispel the rumors."

"You know I hate admitting things like this but Kintarou is right," said Takeshi. "Masami never went to me but clearly, she said something about me to Kintarou and Yuki. We're friends… sort of. If you guys just tell me what's on your minds, then, I don't know. I'd be able to do something about it. I mean, if we're supposed to be teammates, then shouldn't that mean we can talk to each other but these kinds of things?"

Yuki took a deep breath. "Then let me start… Takeshi, Masami told me that… Well, she really just _implied_ that you had a… crush on me. And since we're clearing the air, I guess that means it's untrue, not that I get why I even believed her in the first place. That's why I've been so weird around you."

"Oh…"

"Yeah… I know, it was stupid of me to get, um, never mind."

"No, tell me."

"I… I got a bit excited because I kind of like you. It's dumb."

"Yuki…," Takeshi chuckled. "It's not dumb, okay? I'm extremely flattered that you like me in that way but I only love you as a friend. You are one of the coolest guys I know, an awesome best friend, and you make a mean tuna casserole. So, even though I don't like you in that way, I hope we can still be friends."

Yuki almost laughed. "Yeah, yeah we can totally do that."

"Okay… Not sure if we were supposed to be listening to that," said Kintarou, breaking the silence that followed the conversation. "I guess I'll go next. Takeshi, do you remember last year when those photo shopped pictures of me circulated the school?"

"...You mean the one of you-!"

Kintarou loudly cleared his throat to cut off the brunet. "Don't you _dare_ speak of it!"

Yuki frowned. "What? What pictures?"

"Nothing," Noriko sighed, knowing exactly what was being talked about. "Just know that they were not suitable for a middle school student's eyes to bear witness and it was a scandal that nearly got Kintarou expelled. No one ever found out who spread those pictures so I'm assuming Masami said the culprit was Takeshi."

"Yes…," Kintarou nodded. "So I just need to hear Takeshi say his part."

"I never spread those photos," Takeshi finally said. "I don't know how much my word will mean to you, but I swear that I had nothing to do with that. I was just as surprised as anyone when I saw it on the bulletin board though I do admit I was a little pleased to see you so pissed off."

Kintarou exhaled. "I believe you."

"You do?!" the other three exclaimed.

"For as long as I've known Takeshi, I've never heard him lie before."

That only left Noriko with a confession. "Okay… Kintarou, this is going to sound despicable because I'm ashamed to have even believed Masami when she told me such absurd things. I can't believe I even let this cause friction between us."

Kintarou gave her a gentle nudge. "Just tell me."

"Masami told me that you were incredibly rude to her and you just sort of snapped when it came to talking about the crazed girls that follow you around," Noriko started.

"They do annoy me sometimes," Kintarou mused. "But I would never tell them off like that. And I don't believe that I was ever rude to her when we interacted yesterday afternoon."

Dracmon snickered as he climbed onto Kintarou's shoulder and then put his mouth near the mouthpiece. "Yeah, my partner was a perfect gentleman to her, even when he politely lifted up her skirt from behind." There was uncontrolled laughter followed by a loud of smack and then the sound of something considerably heavy falling to the hardwood floor. "Ow!"

"What else did she say?" asked Kintarou. "I know that can't be it. Someone as composed as you wouldn't be affected by something so simple."

Noriko composed herself before uttering out the rest of the rumor. "She said a couple of malicious things about you but only two things really concerned me. The first is about how you felt about people like Yuki. You…"

"Let me guess, she said that I found people like him to be disgusting, scum of the Earth, who all deserve to die or drop off the face of planet completely."

"Yes… How did you guess?"

"Oh, a certain goggle-head accused me of the same exact thing when I accidentally hit Yuki."

Takeshi's voice came back on. "I thought you did it on purpose."

"But he _did_ apologize," Yuki piped up.

Kintarou ignored them. "What else did she say about me?"

"...It's going to sound silly." Noriko took a few steps forward and then a few steps back as she tried to figure out how to verbally explain the one other thing that bothered her. "This was more of a secondary worry for me but she said that you like me…"

"You… believed her?"

"Well… Yes and no. But she planted the thought in my head and I couldn't really stop thinking about it."

Before Kintarou could come up with a response, he found that he had walked into the center of the warehouse where the others were soon joining him. The group glanced around, searching for anything suspicious, even in the air in case it was a flying menace but they didn't see anything that should be a cause of worry. So, just as they were about to contact Koushiro for further instructions, a woman's voice bounced off the walls and reached their ears.

"Crystal Storm!"

Hot white glowing gems flew down at them in a flurry from the ceiling. Takeshi, Kintarou, and Noriko were all fast enough to activate the defense codes and thankfully, three barriers were enough to protect the whole group from getting punctured.

"I think we found our target," Dorumon growled.

They watched as an empty spot right above a large crate rippled, gaining physical form as a bipedal fox made her presence known to them. Her fur was a shimmering purple color, though it was white on her belly, tips of her ears, paws, and the end of her tail. The bands that she wore on her forearms were a bright golden color. Her most significant feature was her piercing blue eyes that seem to cut through souls like a razor along with her unnerving expressionlessness.

Hyokomon frowned. "Renamon? But her colors…"

The fox shifted her position so that she was putting all her weight on her back foot, as if getting ready to leap out at them. "I am Kitsumon." The fox told them, and with that she made a jump off the grate with such grace that the group was mesmerized by her movements as she somersaulted in the air and landed in front of them. "And you are my enemies."

**Digital Analyzer: **Kitsumon is a variation of the Digimon, Renamon, created artificially using its golden twin's data stream so there are very few in the world. Even though her coloration is different from Renamon, their personalities aren't very distinct. Kitsumon tend to be very calm, and collected, never losing their composure no matter what situation they find themselves in. Their advanced intelligence, skills, and speed put them a cut above normal Child Digimon.

"Koushiro, are you seeing all of this?" Takeshi asked into the headset.

Koushiro downloaded a function into their D-Maxes so that he could see whatever they saw from back in the Digi-Base. Just like all of the other functions of the new digivice, they wouldn't be able to work if they weren't linked to Koushiro's computer in the first place. This was actually why Huckmon had been there in the first place when he had been hiding from them, to hook up the crimson D-Max with the mainframe.

"_Yeah_," the older Chosen said. "_Be careful. Kitsumon may be a Child, but she is far stronger than you might think. I met a Renamon once when I traveled past the dimensional barrier, though I never saw her in action. Mimi told me some scary stories involving the fox Digimon._"

"Okay… We'll keep that in mind," Kintarou nodded.

"Is everyone ready?" muttered Takeshi. After getting a nod of confirmation from everyone there, they all moved their hands over their D-Maxes and punched in the code. "D-Max Online! Charged Up Evolution!"


End file.
